Treasure Trove
by TheHunterPersian
Summary: The vain and egotistical star of a popular treasure hunting TV Show, all Vector knew was his life of luxury. However, when one filming goes horribly wrong and he comes across a mute and rage filled individual, Vector becomes curious and must learn to break his usual lifestyle in order to find a relationship with this new person, even if the world doesn't want him to. Vecpio AU
1. The Treasure Hunter, Vector

**(AN: As unexpected as everything else, it's time to dive into a new fanfiction!** **Welcome to Treasure Trove, my new Vecpio AU!**

 **Before we get started, lemme just say I'm so thrilled to be writing this in a more better state of mind. If I'll be honest, I'm writing this as a somewhat damage control for Read All About It. See, that fic was not planned at ALL and just I'm really dissapointed with how it turned out, as I was going through a pretty rough time writing it. In fact, I kinda had to force myself to write cause if I didn't, I'd leave it abandoned, and I don't like to abandon fanfictions. So I really kinda did half-ass a lot of stuff.**

 **But this time, things are different!**

 **Now that I have my own idea document, and spent about a month planning this fanfiction, I think it's time I finally drop it!**

 **And trust me, I'm glad, cause after what I feel is my magnum opus (Rooming In) when it comes to Vecpio AU's I wrote, I didn't know how to top it. Let's hope this** **suffices!**

 **And so, now with that out of the way, I wanna thank the artist who drew the cover images for both Transfer and Rooming In, softlysharp, aka Dan, for drawing the amazing cover image for this.**

 **So, without further ado, let's start the show!)**

 **EDIT: I have edited this chapter heavily after some critique from a friend and a reviewer for this chapter. I deeply apologize for the lack of quality the original version of this chapter was, it really wasn't up to my level, and I'll make sure future chapters will have deep amounts of quality.**

* * *

 **IN A PRIVATE COLLECTOR'S ROOM...**

The sound of clanging bounced across the walls.

The air of the small room was hot and heavy, with no way to get cool due to all the treasure and knickknacks strewn across the walls and floor. However, no one wanted to collapse from exhaustion.

Five mobian treasure hunters stood shoulder by shoulder, waiting eagerly for the crocodile in front of them to get out an object they had been waiting weeks to see.

"Vector, come on! Don't tease us! Show it!" One explorer, an echidna, said.

"Yeah! We didn't come here for just anything you know," Another explorer, a female lemur, said.

The crocodile, named Vector, grinned as he finally found what he was looking for. "Hold yer horses guys, wait till ya see… this!"

Vector brought down the treasure he had hidden onto the table. The various treasure hunters in front of him had their eyes shining as soon as they saw it. A statue made of pure gold and rhodium, some of the rarest materials on the planet.

"Seventh century I'm guessin'," the crocodile said. He winked. "Go on boys n' girls, start namin' a price…"

"Uhh… 4,540!" The echidna hunter said.

"4,600!" The lemur said.

"5,000!" One pig said.

Vector's eyes had dollar signs on them as he let his tongue droop out. Oh, how the sweet talks of money get him excited…

"No, forget you all! This is going into a museum!" One female koala said. Everyone looked at her as she held one hand on her hip, and the other carrying a briefcase. She walked over to the desk, slamming the briefcase down and opening it up for Vector to see the cash piled inside. Immediately, it felt like he had hit the jackpot.

"Here, seven thousand. And the bad boy will be donated."

Vector looked at her and grinned. This… was just what he wanted!

"Ya got yerself a deal, lady."

* * *

Vector laughed as he drove back home. Yet another artifact sold for a large sum, and his own riches only grew from there. After all, when you were a TV host for a very popular treasure hunting show, and in your spare time, did the same thing, only with no restrictions, it was only natural you'd be hitting it big.

 _"And gawd, I can start with this car,"_ Vector thought to himself. _"Sleek red and black, comfy leather seats, smooth and quiet, and always usin' premium gas in this thing!"_

As the crocodile finally drove up to his neighborhood, he punched in the code to open the gates (the neighborhood needed protection from thieves). Here he was; in one of Central City's richest neighborhoods. After driving through a few streets, he finally made it back to his house.

 _"And there it is, my beloved home…"_ Vector thought to himself. With so many commodities and rooms that even sometimes Vector wondered what he'd ever do with them, it was a house perfect for a man like him.

Turning off the car's engine, he got the briefcase and got out of his car. Locking the doors, he looked at himself in the shiny vehicle's reflection.

"Lookin' good as usual, Vector!" He said, snapping his fingers and shooting himself a sly grin.

Many of his detractors saw him as vain and egotistical, only caring about money. Vector only thought of them as an annoyance, wanting to say "Fuck you" to them.

Opening up the garage, Vector entered inside and shut the door once again, walking into the dark hallway. The crocodile wondered what he could do for the rest of the night. He COULD go out with some friends and treat them to something nice… he could stay home, watch a movie, and maybe order a pizza…

Or, as he yawned loudly, he realized he could go to bed and rest up for tomorrow. After all, now that he recalled, he was meeting up with the TV station he was a part of to discuss the location to film for the next episode of his show, "Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest".

As he walked down the hall and into the living room, he saw that the TV was still on. Vector decided perhaps before he went to bed, he could watch a little TV.

Turning off the lights, he got himself on the couch and stared at the device. A TV drama seemed to be playing.

 _"Jani-Ca, you know your lover did what he had to do-"_ One woman said.

 _"NO I DIDN'T! HE WAS JUST A… A SELFISH LITTLE BASTARD!"_ The echidna woman cried out.

Vector could feel himself doze off. Shutting his eyes briefly, he quickly awoke and realized he was far too tired. And so, he decided to just sleep on the couch for the night.

Getting a blanket from his closet, he spread it out and got under the covers, hands behind his head.

"Gawd… I wouldn't wanna change mah lifestyle fer anythin'…" He said. "Oh jeez, did I forget to set mah alarm? Eh, whatever. Wouldn't have been the first time I've been late, and it wouldn't have been the first time I've been reprimanded… just…"

Vector yawned.

"Good night, Vec…"

The crocodile shut his eyes and began to snore, the soft sounds of the TV being the only noise present in the living room.

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY**

That afternoon, Vector was at the HQ of "Travel and Exploration", the TV network that he was signed to. He was discussing the next episode of the show in the studio's conference room. Various executives from the network, including Vector's head honcho, Infinite, surrounded a table as the crocodile stood at the front of the room behind a promethium board, holding a remote.

"Gentlemen, I think it's time for this next episode, we gotta go big or go home. That's why I've been hearin' rumors about this one place that has somethin' valuable, somethin' that'll definitely cause public interest," Vector said, turning on the projector above him as he waited for it to heat up.

"Oh really? Well go on, Vector. Where is it and what is it?" Infinite asked.

"And what about it could possibly do that?" Another executive, a bat, said.

The reptile grinned. "Feast yer eyes on this!"

The projector finally heated up as it projected a picture of a ring on the screen, a scarab like design on the front of it.

"May I present the Scarab Jewel Ring, found only in the Dragon Kingdom."

As soon as he said these words, the other executives' eyes widened as they stood up.

"What?! The Dragon Kingdom?!" One executive said.

"Vector, don't be silly! You know the Dragon Kingdom has been abandoned!" The bat executive sputtered.

"N-Now now, Ixis…" Infinite said before getting interrupted.

"No one has been able to make contact with them for months, and everyone who's tried to enter has never came back!" Yet another executive, this time a skunk, said.

"Geoffrey! That doesn't mean-"

"Pick some other place, don't risk your life for something as simple as a ring!" One final executive said, a female spider.

"Ms. Arachnis… you really are-"

"Riskin' mah life? How do ya know they died?!" Vector retorted.

"PEOPLE!" Infinite screamed, slamming his hands on his desk. Everyone turned to face him.

Infinite took a deep breath and had a quick drink of water. "Ahem… apologies for my outburst…"

Clearing his throat, he began; "Vector… I think that's an interesting idea. You've avoided danger many times… plus, we can finally see why the place has long since abandoned. If you DO believe you know where the ring is, then I see no reason why we shouldn't trust you. Besides, it'll give the late-night talk shows and major news corporations something to talk about…"

"Mr. Infinite, be considerate!" A monkey said. "You really aren't thinking of putting one of your most valuable people in danger… just for ratings?!"

"Isn't this what this business is about, Coconuts?!" Infinite slammed his hands on the desk yet again, getting up from his chair. "Think about it… the ratings will be high… and we WILL be once again, not at the threat of having to pull the plug. Don't you remember how this station was before Vector signed on? Show after show was just terrible, terrible actors reviewing food from around the world or boring documentaries about said places! Vector saved this station, and you all are foolish enough to think this is a bad idea!"

The jackal took a deep breath as he got back into his chair. "Vector… I am trusting you with this… You WILL be very careful right?"

"Yeah! I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

"Well, may I remind you of the-" Ms. Arachnis began.

"Dun wanna hear it!" Vector raised his hand as her face. "Honestly, this place doesn't seem that bad. If there REALLY is someone, or somethin' killing people out there, then I ain't afraid of it! And if I do die, well, suck. But… I got confidence."

Ixis got back to his chair and shook his head, taking a whiff of his cigar.

"You young people have no concept of safety…"

"Alright, here's the plan. I get you a crew, you come back with some great footage. Do we have a deal, Vector?" Infinite said.

Vector slyly grinned. "Deal."

* * *

That night, Vector stayed up late in his computer room. He was thinking about what the other executives said that day at the meeting. The Dragon Kingdom… was it really as uninhabitable as they made it out to be?

Scratching his chin, he had been looking online for anything about the kingdom. But… there wasn't much…

He was growing more and more curious about this place. He decided to call the person he heard the rumors from.

Grabbing his cell phone, he punched in the number and put it on dial. Waiting for them to pick up, Vector sat back in his seat as they finally picked up.

 _"Hullo?..."_

"Hey, Rouge? It's me, Vector."

 _"Vector?... You do know it's… quite late at night,"_ Rouge yawned.

"Yeah yeah, listen. This is urgent. Do you know about the Scarab Jewel Ring of the Dragon Kingdom?"

 _"That thing? What about it?"_

"Well… I'll be honest, I've had my eyes set on that thing. I… I wanna get it on the show."

 _"Okay… where do I come in?"_

"Well, yer the one who told me about this thing. What else can ya tell me about?"

Rouge sighed. It was clear she was just waking up. _"The thing is though, information on the Kingdom has been scarce for a while. No one has been able to figure out why they've cut off contact."_

"Well how did ya find out 'bout it?"

 _"Apparently, someone's body washed ashore in Holoska, holding a ring in his hand. It seems to be one of the Scarab Jewel Rings, but according to sources, it might be a common artifact from there. The thing is, because of how difficult it is to get there, naturally, those rings are worth a fortune."_

Vector shuddered when he heard Rouge talk about the body. He wasn't someone afraid of death, but what was lurking in the Dragon Kingdom where someone could just wash ashore up north?

He decided to press a little more. "Jeez," The crocodile said, "Lemme go on 'bout that dead body thing, did anybody figure out what happened?"

 _"Slit throat. Authorities thought it was an accident, so did his family."_

Now this only shook Vector to the core more. Now this same thing could not only make his body wash up ashore up north, but also slice his throat?

…maybe he was having second thoughts.

Vector shook his head. _Yer in a business fer Chaos' sake! Pull up yer big boy pants, stop bein' a pussy, and focus on getting' that ring!_ He thought to himself.

"My question is, why would they think so? I mean, ya don't just wind up in the ocean dead when yer gettin' a ring."

 _"Don't ask me you dunderhead. I'm just telling you what I know."_

"So… what's the deal with people not wanting me to go?"

 _"You can slit your throat on stuff."_

"Well, BESIDES that, Rouge."

 _"I dunno, Vector. Maybe it's the fact that everything there is dangerous and since we don't know a thing about it, anything could be out there. Or maybe it's that I know about the ring's location, and how I'll get there before you do!"_

"In yer dreams, princess. Good night."

 _"Now hold on! You know how I feel when you!-"_

Vector hung up. He didn't have of an idea what to do from here. Rubbing his eyes, he left his room and went to one of the many bathrooms he had in his house, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He proceeded to turn on the knob for the bathtub as the hot water came running out from the faucet.

"Rouge said all these horror stories 'bout the kingdom, but… it ain't real. She's just tryna scare me from gettin' that ring and getting more famous. Tch, the nerve of these fuckin' hunters. They might be cool one day, but they wanna one up ya cause they're jealous yer popular and they're not."

Taking off his clothes, Vector dipped his feet into the bath before sliding in.

"Yeah, that's it. Watch, I'll find that ring, come back well and alive, and tell everyone to bite mah ass…"

Vector grumbled for the rest of his bath.

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY…**

With his TV crew preparing cameras, lights, microphones, and other commodities, it was time for the filming crew to leave.

Vector looked at himself in the mirror, looking at the stereotypical explorer outfit he had in his hand.

"Eugh… why do people buy into this stuff again?" He questioned. "I tell ya, I look like a total fuckin' dork in this thing… But hey, it's what people wanna see on TV…"

After getting his outfit on, he climbed onto the private plane Mr. Infinite was allowing Vector and his crew to use. Before they left, Infinite got on board.

"Alright team, I'm wishing you all well. Remember, we're counting on you to have some absolutely great footage. And if you do get that ring… well, perhaps I'll invite you all to dinner and even give you a raise."

There was high morale amongst the crew upon hearing those words. Even Vector grew excited about the prospect. He rubbed his hands together, forgetting all about the stuff he heard about the kingdom last night.

"Good luck you all!" The jackal said, waving as he got off board. The plane began to move as he watched it take off.

As the plane began to fly ahead northward into the sky, a sly grinned appeared on Infinite's face.

 _"Hopefully they AREN'T killed out there. This unmarked land… it's the perfect place for ratings…"_

He turned around, and walked away, wishing for only… the best for his most valuable employee.


	2. A Treasure Hunter's Past

**(AN: Welcome back to another chapter of Treasure Trove! I've been kinda slacking on these chapters, so... yeah. Don't worry, I am SLIGHTLY getting the hang of writing consistently again, so yeah!**

 **Before I let you off, I wanna address the reviewer I got for this story when the original Chapter 1 was published. First of all, THANK YOU, critique is always allowed. I feel my fanfics grow better when I do receive it.**

 **To address your concerns about this fic, I did apologize for the poor quality of the original Chapter 1. This chapter was also made to give more of a backstory to Vector, and wasn't apart of the original design document. So thank you, you gave me a consideration I never even thought of. Other than that, I am trying better to include far more detail in the following few chapters.**

 **Other than that, a lot of what you had to say was removed from the updated Chapter 1, so I would highly recommend to give it a look before continuing on.**

 **Anyway, on with the show!)**

* * *

Everyone took their seats in the plane as the pilot got into his seat. All equipment was set to the side, carefully placed side by side so they wouldn't get damaged.

"Just need to take a few minutes to check everything out. By then, we should be ready, boys!" The pilot said, flicking a few switches.

Vector took off his explorer's hat, staring at it, then twirling it around with his finger. A minor gesture of amusement while he waited for the plane to leave. He looked around the plane's interior. Grey and small walls that felt claustrophobic, uncomfortable seats, and windows behind them. The green reptile looked out to see the tarmac. The vehicle that had given the plane gas was driving off.

The crew took their seats as well, one cameraman deciding to have a little bit of fun teasing Vector.

"Jeez Vector, why do you ALWAYS have to wear that dorky get up?" He said. The crocodilian treasure hunter looked at him.

"The long answer is because this is what the audience thinks I'm like, so I gotta keep up that persona. The short answer is mind yer fuckin' business, I don't recall YER outfit lookin' any better," he replied.

Everyone else laughed and howled, clapping their hands as the cameraman simply shut up, realizing he was beat.

"Is this going to be a roasting session now?" One light crew member said.

"Considerin' yer the lightin' dude, I think yer gonna roast us ALL period," The crocodile replied.

More laughter erupted from the crew members. Vector grinned too. He may have been a money lover, but he had to bless his sense of humor too. After all, money didn't buy THAT.

"So anyway," Vector began, putting his hat back on as he laid his elbow on his thigh, and his lower snout on his hand. "Why don't people want me goin' to this place anyway?"

"Simple answer for a simple question, Vec," The pilot said. "Something happened within the Dragon Kingdom, and they haven't been able to get in contact for months. Each person that's flown there hasn't come back, or they can't do it, or-"

"What do you mean CAN'T?!"

"Well, ever since it's gone AWOL, vegetation has overgrown the kingdom. As a result, trees are huge, boats get lost at sea, it's like the place is cursed."

"Well, I ain't scared of no cursed island, that's fer sure. We ARE gonna find this ring… even if it takes off a limb."

"You know, with the money you get, a prosthetic limb would just be like going to the doctor for a cold."

"Suuuuure. I'll be sure to get ya all a new soul if ya die too. That's how rich I am."

Everyone else chuckled.

"Alright everybody. We're ready for takeoff. If I can just have you put on your seatbelts for the liftoff, that'd be much appreciated. Okay, so right now, it is 5:52 P.M., and it should take us a good two hours to arrive at the Dragon Kingdom. Weather is nice and sunny, no cloud in the sky. Perfect for a flight with no case of turbulence."

"Hey, no need to act like a pilot flyin' in coach!" Vector yelled.

"Very funny, Vector. What's even more funny was that I ACTUALLY DID THAT FOR A LIVING."

"Oh. Well uh…"

The pilot turned around. "Where was I? Ah yes, everything has been checked, and we're ready for liftoff."

Pushing the throttle forward, the plane began to pick up speed as the wheels drove on the tarmac. Second by second, the plane accelerated until the pilot noted that it was time for liftoff. Once he did, he pulled the yoke forward, and the nose of the plane went up, and it was finally off the ground.

Since there would be only two hours until they finally arrived to the Dragon Kingdom, Vector yawned. He wondered what he could do…

Getting out his phone, he decided to go onto social media and take a picture from outside the window. He typed, _"Getting ready to record next episode! This one will be a shocker!"_

After submitting it, he tapped his feet on the ground as he continued to check his feed. The others around him were doing the same.

After half an hour, Vector got bored and put his phone away. He opted this time to stare outside the window. He could see the green of the environment down below as the clouds obscured them. The blue sky seeming infinite as the plane continued to fly in the air.

As Vector continued to look out, he soon began to do a deep reflection.

 _"To think I really am gonna go to the Dragon Kingdom… that's pretty lucky of me…"_ He thought to himself. After all, he knew that his treasure hunting career didn't happen in one day.

Yeah… that was it. Perhaps Vector would spend the time reflecting back on when his career got started.

He laid his head on the window, and spiritually left the world as he collected his thoughts…

* * *

 _The crocodile remembered the day he would soon know about his future career, even going as far to remember the time. It was about 1:26 P.M., and Vector was out taking a walk after lunch. Sophomore year of high school, he was out of school for the summer, and bored at home. So, he decided to take a trail down a path he normally wouldn't take._

 _As the crocodile let his tail swoosh back and forth, he took notice of flashing police lights in the distance. Vector freaked out._

 _"Oh jeez, what did I do?! I'm not on someone's property!... am I?" He said._

 _Vector began to run where the lights were. Maybe that wasn't the case, and the cops were just arresting a drunk person, or maybe a couple having sex in public or maybe-_

 _…they had police tape around the woods._

 _He knew not to interrupt the investigation but did so anyway._

 _Walking up to the commotion, he cleared his throat._

 _"Excuse me, Mr. Officer. What's going on? Did something happen?"_

 _The officers who were standing around, talking amongst each other, turned to face Vector. They didn't look amused._

 _"Where did he come from?" One of the officers said._

 _"I dunno! Hey kid, don't interrupt this investigation. I get you're curious, but something really bad has happened, and I don't want you getting hurt. Now run along and go home!"_

 _Upset as being dismissed like he was nothing, Vector huffed and turned around, hands in his pockets._

 _That night, Vector and his family were watching the local news._

 _"…An investigation has begun regarding the disappearance of a local restaurant owner," The female bandicoot news anchor said. The screen soon displayed the mugshot of a beaver. "Police believe that Woody Cliff, owner of L'amour, went missing on the 15th of this month. Investigative leads suggest that Woody may have possibly been murdered, however no leads have been found just yet. As such, authorities are searching various parts of town for any sign of a body. If you have any leads regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Cliff, please call the local sheriff's office."_

 _"Mom, Dad, I came across cops looking for him earlier today," Vector said once the report was over._

 _"Did you? What did they say?" Vector's mother asked._

 _"They told me to get lost."_

 _"Well, that ain't a nice thing to say. What if you wanted to help?" Vector's father replied._

 _"That's what I'm saying! Still, I hope they find him…."_

* * *

 **A FEW DAYS LATER**

 _Vector was taking a shortcut through the woods, coming home from the grocery store. Yet again, his parents made him get a gallon of milk._

 _"It's like they forget they have a car…" The crocodile grumbled._

 _Without watching his step, Vector tripped on a root and fell tumbling to the ground. With a loud 'oof!', he landed face down on the grass._

 _"At least the milk was still okay…" He thought._

 _Just as the green reptile placed his hands onto the floor, he froze._

 _"Hang on…" He said, rubbing his hands across the floor._

 _Vector froze._

 _"Th-the floor feels… it feels like it's different!"_

 _Putting the milk aside, Vector began to dig through the ground with his hands. He REALLY wished he had a shovel at this point, maybe he could tell his dad-_

 _No, he found it first, he just HAD to know what was on the other side!_

 _Vector continued to claw through the ground, throwing chunks of dirt around the circle. He stopped a minute to take a deep breath._

 _"What's under this thing?" He thought._

 _There was only one thing to do…_

 _With the last bit of his strength, Vector continued to dig and dig, until finally…_

 _He felt something._

 _The crocodile only wondered what this was. Maybe his childhood self was screaming at the idea of lost treasure or dinosaur bones. Maybe it was something interesting like a kid's time capsule that he could rob a few things from._

 _Or maybe…. As he finally saw what it was he felt, it was something that made him scream and scramble for his phone._

 _It was someone's arm._

* * *

 _In the time since Vector called the authorities, the police had already arrived alongside investigators, detectives, and news cameras._

 _Meanwhile, the crocodile was driven down to the local police station. Sitting in a chair in the questioning room, he looked at the detective in front of him. The large beige skunk felt like he loomed over anything in the room._

 _"Vector, I'm detective Tumble. I'm not here to scare you, your parents have already been called and they're on their way. I just want to ask you a few questions about what you saw and how you came across it."_

 _And so, Vector recalled everything to the detective. Him walking, finding the strange hole, digging in the hopes of finding something lost, and calling the police._

 _After a few questions, Vector was finally let go to his parents. Both of them expressed worry at the crocodile, thinking he had either been hurt or begun his criminal career._

 _However, when he went home that day, there was only one thing that continued to click in his mind._

 _It wasn't about finding the body, it was the thrill of trying to figure out what it was. It was the thrill of exploring and finding…_

 _Even with all the interviews with the local TV station, getting his 15 minutes of fame, and having a lot of people at his school ask questions, the idea of exploration still kept hitting him._

 _And that's why, within a month since the incident, Vector found himself at the local museum. He looked at the map of the museum and tried to find the part of the museum for artifacts. Upon locating it, he went to the elevator and pressed the button for floor 4, the Artifacts of Old Mobius floor._

 _As he explored the exhibit, the crocodile became more infatuated with the idea of exploring. The thrill of finding something old, something valuable, something that someone left as treasure…_

 _"This is what I want to do…" Vector said, staring through a glass display of weapons from eleventh century Mobius._

* * *

 _That night, Vector was up all night looking up how to become a treasure hunter and an explorer. Watching videos until sunrise, that was the thing that finally sealed the deal._

 _Vector knew what he wanted to do._

 _As his school year came to a close, the green reptile decided to start up an exploration and treasure hunting blog. It was very amateur, and definitely something a high schooler would create. But as Vector put it…_

 _"Hey, I'm startin' out. Not like I'm the world's richest person."_

 _After buying a shovel, brush, gloves, and other must haves when it came to the profession, Vector wondered where he could begin in his own hometown. After all, it wasn't like he could just dig in random people's backyards. So, after looking on internet message boards, he found a public location where he could explore and treasure hunt. It was by a camp, where the only noticeable detail was the bullet shells littered all over the ground._

 _Since it was better than nothing, Vector decided to spend that Saturday trying to find anything of worthwhile at the camp. When he arrived, he noticed a few other people exploring around._

 _"Hey there, you new here?" Someone said, scaring Vector._

 _"Whoa! Who the hell are ya?!"_

 _"Ha ha, relax kid. I can tell you're a rookie by just looking at you."_

 _Vector turned around to really look at the person. He was an orange raccoon, purple around his eyes, and a very basic get up involving green suspenders and a lime green and yellow shirt._

 _"The name's Jerod, nice to meet ya!" He held out his hand._

 _"Err, Vector. Likewise. Yer an explorer?"_

 _"Explorer and treasure hunter, they're both pretty interchangeable, ain't they?"_

 _"I guess… I mean, I've been wanting to start actually… I just, dunno where to begin."_

 _"Well, in my time of bein' one, I can tell ya one thing: anything that MIGHT look like junk can be something of history. Like-"_

 _Jerod picked up one of the bullet shells._

 _"This might LOOK like a bullet shell, but there's history to this bullet. Who knows? Perhaps this was shot in a war, the shells on the ground lying next to dead bodies. Perhaps this was shot from someone yesterday. The point is, when you're an explorer and a treasure hunter, you can make money from this, but there's such an important factor to this. And that's we're doing this to preserve history."_

 _Vector stared at the raccoon, picking up one of the bullet shells. The thoughts raced through his head over and over._

* * *

 _Since he had taken Jerod's advice, Vector had been continuing his blog for months, showing off each find in not just the camp, but other parts of the state. The crocodile found himself even uploading to video sharing websites and starting various social media accounts._

 _While his viewerbase started off niche at first, one of Vector's videos suddenly went viral after a few months of being posted. With just 24 hours, Vector had found himself getting more and more fans._

 _As he continued through high school graduation, and even when he should have been in college, Vector found himself more occupied with his hobby, now turned career due to him being able to make money off of it. Of course, his parents told him to leave, as they thought Vector made enough to survive on a monthly basis, and it was true._

 _The more he continued to make, the more he would soon turn into the person he is today. What Jerod told him that many months ago he had forgotten, only caring about his viewership, and how much money he earned from views._

 _And then, it came._

 _Checking his email one morning, that's where he noticed it. Right on the very top, an email from a business address._

 _"What the heck is this?" He asked himself. Clicking on it, he read the contents of the email._

 _"Dear Mr. Vector,_

 _It has come to our attention the popularity of your online channels, blog, and social media. Your treasure hunting and exploration ability, and your personality are all factors we here at Travel & Exploration seek. If you are willing, we would be glad to speak with you regarding a deal for a television show on Monday, May 23. If so, please reply to this email confirming your arrival. If not, please do not reply._

 _-Infinite Block, C.E.O of Travel & Exploration. Channel 243"_

 _Vector read back the email multiple times over, and then, he got the biggest smile on his face._

 _If this deal went through… then his life would be changed forever…_

* * *

 _Sure enough, that specific Monday, Vector came by to discuss the deal with the executives of Travel & Exploration. Meeting Mr. Infinite Block, as well as Mr. Ixis Naugus, Mr. Geoffrey St. John, Ms. Uma Arachnis, and Mr. Coconuts, the group sat down around a table and looked at Vector._

 _"Well Mr. Vector, have you made a decision? We can discuss all the ins and outs about paperwork and legal rights and all that soon. But what I want to know is, yes or no?" Infinite said, hands held together._

 _Vector sat back in his chair, spun around, and looked at the people in front of him._

 _"…ya got yerself a deal!"_

 _And with that, Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest was officially a part of the network._

 _Over two years have passed since that deal, which sets forth today. Vector, with his newfound wealth and property, found himself in a rags to riches type story just by being interested in exploration._

 _…however, that's not to say things were always alright._

 _Though Vector enjoyed his money, enjoyed spending it and flaunting his wealth, many of his old friends abandoned him at the idea that he only cared about his own fortune. Even today, his friends were usually just his exploration partners, and what other friends Vector had seemed only interested in his money._

 _As a result, the crocodile in those very rare moments, showed weakness and had constant feelings of loneliness. However, he thought that money could buy him the ability to not be lonely…_

* * *

 _"And besides… I'm funny, people like me, and I'm just… okay I could use a personality overhaul, but that's just… what I am. And I can't change it…"_ Vector thought, his flashback finally coming to an end.

"Earth to Vector, earth to dunderhead Vector. We finally have your brain. You've gone silent for the last hour… we thought it ran away from you," The pilot said over the intercom. Everyone laughed as Vector finally came back to earth.

"H-huh?! Hey now, ya dick! I was in deep thought!" Vector yelled.

"Ha ha, gotcha! But seriously, it's good that I woke you up. Because… we're finally here."

Vector turned and looked through the window. He was in awe in what was in front of him.

One massive location of land, surrounded and obscured by large trees. And with no light around, there was no sign of life.

The pilot descended the plane and landed safely.


	3. The Recording Gone Wrong

**(AN: Hey all, back again with another chapter. I'm glad to be getting more critique on this piece too. Things are getting easier for me, so I should be back in the writing mood more now.**

 **Btw reviewer, as for your stuff about Read All About It, don't worry, I don't like the fic myself. As I said in Chapter 1, I pretty much BSed the fic to get something out. As a result, it turned out not to my liking.**

 **Anyway, I don't got much to say. Enjoy this more action oriented chapter!)**

* * *

Everyone got out of the plane, crew grabbing the cameras and lights. The pilot stood at the stairs of the plane, making sure everything was taken out from the plane.

"Alright, so I'll be here if something goes wrong. Don't worry about me. I'll be locking myself in here so no one can get in," He said.

"Alright man, just try to be careful," Vector said.

"Huh! I should be saying that to you lot!"

The pilot brought up the stairs as he really locked himself inside. Vector turned around to look at the kingdom. Huge, dark trees surrounded what should have been a booming civilization. Instead, it looked like a relic of an ancient society.

"And this was just in a couple of months?" One of the cameramen asked.

"It's impressive, I'll tell ya that," Vector replied. "Alright, so how are we gonna start this?"

"Well, I got an outline of things you could say," Said one dog, getting a notebook from his very large backpack and holding it up.

"Muttski, ya didn't even come up with a script?!"

Muttski only shrugged. "Mr. Infinite didn't give me time to write one."

The crocodile groaned. "Great, so I really WILL look like a dunce on camera."

"Well, don't fret. Maybe we could begin with how the episode begins, like, take some scenic shots of the kingdom with your voiceover and the history of that ring. In fact, we can even shoot your opening part with you saying like… oh, we're at the Dragon Kingdom, and just show off some basic stuff and talk down to the audience."

"So B.S. basically?"

"Isn't that what reality TV is?"

Vector nodded. "Yeah, ya got a point. Well, it's almost dark, we can't really take scenic shots."

"Alright, so let's begin. Okay, since we… kinda really DON'T have a director, all thanks to Mr. Infinite, I guess I'll be the honorary director. So, let's get started on those lights and the cameras!"

The crew began their work setting up everything. Meanwhile, Vector simply looked through the trees. For as much he wanted to believe there was no life there, a nagging feeling at the back of his head told him something wasn't right. For a kingdom that was apparently abandoned, it felt…. TOO quiet.

"Vector! Come on, it's time!"

The crocodile looked at the crew and nodded, walking over to the group of people. He stood in front of the camera, adjusted his clothes, made sure his hat was perfect, and took a deep breath.

"And… action!" Muttski said, clapping his hands.

Vector appeared on frame through each camera lens.

"Alright, so our crew have finally arrived at the Dragon Kingdom. As you can see, it's near pitch black in the kingdom, mainly because of it being sundown. For now, we plan to relax and rest up for the next few days. Judging from where our current location is, we're still quite a distance away from the Scarab Jewel Ring. Of course, that doesn't mean we're just gonna give up and call it a day. We're just gonna search until we find this thing, " He said, hands on his hips.

"And… cut! Wow Vector, for you BS-ing it, you really do a great job! Guys, do you think Vector needs to do a redo?"

The crew were in agreement that the take was fine as is.

"Good. Now, I'm hoping there is reception here. I'll send everything we have to Mr. Infinite if he wants a redo. But Vector, were you serious about us resting?"

"Well, yeah, we can't just keep goin' all night. Trust me, we need to be filmin' a lot. In fact, while we find a place to camp, let's record a bit."

Muttski looked at the crew behind him.

"Well, you heard him. Let's record!"

Vector went on ahead, grabbing a flashlight from his belt pouch. Turning it on, he still could see darkness despite the fantastic quality of the light.

"C'mon!"

The crocodile continued to walk through the sea of trees, passing over planks, and noticing crops and flowers.

"Is the night vision lens set up?" Muttski asked.

"Yeah," One of the cameramen said.

"Alright. And… action!" The dog clapped his hands.

"Wait, I'm not ready!" Vector complained.

"Well you should have been, Vector! Okay, take two… action!"

Vector cleared his throat. "Well, as yeh can see, this entire place really does give the feelin' like it really is haunted. As I pass by the forest, I notice a lot of peculiar things. Like-"

Vector took notice of a stuffed animal, picking it up and showing it to the camera.

"…this little guy right here. This means that a kid was obviously here. Now, where the kid IS, I dunno. It might have been a kid from the kingdom, or someone who came here."

The crocodile dropped the stuffed animal to the floor, taking notice of a pair of glasses.

"And see? We got this here too."

Vector messed with the frames. "All this shows that life WAS here at one point. I quite frankly dunno what happened, as there's no records of somethin' like… well, I'm not sure how to describe it quite frankly. A tornado? A hurricane? It feels like something like that has happened to this place. But… no one is alive to tell me if so. And I think, that only adds to the creepiness."

"Okay, cut! Afterwards, I think voice over would be perfect!" Muttski said.

"Vector does bring up a good point though," said one of the lighting crew, one hand supporting the lights and the other up to his mouth. "I mean… what DID happen? No one seems to know…"

"Isn't this what the whole trip is about? Finding the ring and exposin' the truth 'bout this place?" Vector asked. "If ya ask me, I think some kinda disaster happened. But it's so weird no one had contact and that they never come back. I mean, take a look there."

Vector pointed at a cell phone tower in the distance.

"See? Reception exists here."

"Nope, it doesn't," Muttski said, checking his phone.

"Then there's no power here?" One of the lighting men said.

"Well, we better tell the pilot we're gonna be here fer a while," Vector said. "Hey, you. Can ya go back and tell him?"

The crocodile pointed at one of the cameramen, who was busy recording. "Huh, me?" he said.

"Yeah, yeh. C'mon, yer an arctic wolf! Yeh can run fast."

"C'mon, Guntiver! Do it!" Muttski said.

"Fine…"

Guntiver ran back as the group continued onwards, looking for a place to rest.

"Hey, did ya look at the weather before comin' here?" Vector asked.

"You bet!" Muttski said. "Should be looking at clear skies for the next couple of days!"

"Nice. Oh hey, what about that?"

Vector pointed at a large open space, clearly what used to be a road visible. A destroyed car stood by the space, it's colors a dull beige and grey.

"That seems like a great place," one of the other cameramen said. "Alright, we don't have to worry about charging for now. We bought PLENTY of spare batteries. But we did bring portable chargers JUST IN CASE we ever lose the batteries."

"Always prepared fer the worst?" Vector asked. He sat down in the middle of the road, clearly feeling moss on his fingertips.

"Do you think its safe for us to camp here?" One of the lighting men asked.

"I mean, haven't you been camping? It's probably just as unsanitary!" Muttski said. "Okay, we should probably make a fire and see what we have for food rations. Mr. Infinite did pack us a lot, so we should be set for the rest of our trip."

"I'll go set up the fire," One of the camerawomen, a female green canary, said. Her large hoop earrings moved alongside her as she scurried off into the forest.

Muttski opened up the backpack he was carrying and looked through it. "Okay so, we probably might wanna consume the sandwiches first. Those'll probably go bad. Let's see… ooh, corned beef! Mr. Infinite sure knows his beef!"

"Really? Cause knowin' his money, he should be givin' us wagyu beef," Vector said. "Hey, what do we got to drink?"

"Beer, beer, beer, water, juice, more beer, lemonade, cola, and… kale juice?"

"Yipes, sounds gross. Hand me a beer why doncha?"

Everyone else was in agreement as drinks were handed out. Guntiver returned with the pilot.

"Seriously? I thought this was going to be a one-night thing!" The pilot complained.

"Yeh really are someone who flew coach planes fer a livin'," Vector mocked. "Of course it's gonna take us a while to film!"

"Ugh… hey, ya got an extra dinner?"

And so, with the canary camerawoman coming back with wood and Muttski getting out a lighter, a fire was lit. The flame heated up everyone as the dog writer set up small sleeping bags for everyone (also from his backpack).

As Vector took off his gloves and rubbed his hands together, something… didn't quite feel right. The crocodile looked around, wondering what this nagging feeling was coming from.

"Vector? Are you alright?" Guntiver asked.

"I'm fine. Just… I can't help but shake the feeling we're being watched."

"Aw, Vector. We're out here in the middle of a dank forest, no life around us but well… us! And no crazed serial killers so we can be the cast of our own crappy horror movie! Don't worry, Vector. It'll be fine!" The canary said.

Though the crocodile knew she meant well, he still couldn't get that feeling out of his head. Especially when, later that night, Vector swore he heard the sound of the grass rustling from outside the tent.

* * *

 **A FEW DAYS LATER**

Days had passed since the beginning of filming for the episode on the Dragon Kingdom. The various cameramen had gotten incredible shots, reception by Mr. Infinite was positive (after finding a mobile signal), and memories were made.

However, one thing had yet to be found.

"When are we gonna find the ring, Vector?" Guntiver asked.

"I dunno," Vector said, looking at a map he made one night. "Judgin' from the layout, we seemed to have gone through every part of this place. I mean, it could also be anywhere."

"What about that?" Muttski pointed at a temple towards the northeast.

"That temple? We haven't been there have we?"

"No, we just saw it as we explored across the island on the second day."

"Alright, let's head there."

The crew made their way towards the temple, walking through the desolate streets. They passed by various… destroyed structures.

"Geez, what the hell happened?" The pilot said.

"I dunno, looks like a bomb went through this whole place," Vector said.

"Should we check the place?" Guntiver asked.

"And ransack it? I mean go ahead, but if everyone is gone… then it seems disrespectful," the pilot scolded.

"Nah, go ahead. It's one man's trash after all."

The pilot was taken aback as Guntiver went over to examine one of the downed buildings. He saw many bottles of medication, furniture, jewelry, and…

The red wolf lifted up one of the wood planks to reveal… someone's decomposing body.

Guntiver's eyes widened, quickly placing the plank down and pretending like he had seen nothing.

"Hey, ya done?!" Vector yelled.

"There's… there's nothing!" He lied, quickly running back to the group.

* * *

At long last, the group finally reached the temple. The cameramen began filming.

"Okay, so we're at a temple where I… believe the Scarab Jewel Ring might be. Of course, it could be empty, but it'll still be fun to see what's inside," Vector came up with on the spot.

Unlike the other buildings in the kingdom, the temple was still standing, but vines and vegetation grew on the walls and through the windows and doors. Vector first entered as everyone else followed behind, filming and shining lights on him. Muttski and the pilot stood behind everyone else, looking around as if they were expecting someone to jump out.

Vector looked around the temple, seeing its high ceiling and its inner design and decoration being made out of granite. The crocodile moved forward, going through a hall at his left.

"Right here, we have a hall…" The green reptile said. "Not sure which century this was built, but judging from the quality… I can deduce it could possibly be… ninth century?"

As Vector looked through a door, he noticed… a bundle of burnt wood, and a jacket. Sitting next to it were banana peels, and other eaten fruits.

This caused the crocodile's jaw to drop.

"Holy… shit…" he said.

"Is… is someone here?!" Guntiver asked.

"That's… that's what I dunno… I had this fear…"

"Fear?! What fear?!" Muttski sputtered.

"On our first night, I had the feelin' like someone was watchin' us. Is… is it that person?"

"What I know is, we should just stick together," the pilot said. "Vector… should we even bother with the ring?"

"Yes! I get it, it's scary. But we dunno if the guy is still alive or not!"

"But didn't you tell us about the guy in Holoska that wound up with his throat sliced?!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean the same is gonna happen to us! Now look, if ya guys are too much of a pussy to follow along, we can find the ring, and leave!"

"Won't Mr. Infinite be mad?" Muttski asked.

"Fuck him! We're gonna find the ring and leave since yeh guys are too afraid!"

The angry crocodile walked out, everyone else following behind him. As he looked around, the green reptile took a left into a courtyard. Birds chirped and something rustled in the grass.

"What the heck is that?" Muttski asked. He was pointing to a pedestal in the middle of the courtyard.

Vector walked up to it, and when he saw what was on it, his eyes glittered. "It's… it's the scarab jewel ring!" Lifting it up triumphantly, he was proud to finally have what he wanted.

"Good job, Vector!" The pilot said, clapping. Guntiver nodded, bringing down his camera.

"Jeez, now we can get out of this pla-"

The arctic wolf was interrupted by a sudden yell.

The yell was following up with the sound of something swooshing in the wind.

And the swoosh was followed up with a kunai striking through Guntiver's head. The wolf fell to the ground, fresh blood pouring out of his wound.

"A…a…." Muttski said, shaking violently.

The crocodile's jaw dropped as the ring slipped from his hand. The group looked above to see a dark figure staring right at them from a tree.

Another swoosh, and Vector dodged another kunai.

"R-RUN AWAY!" Vector yelled as everyone scurried out. They left Guntiver's body behind as they dropped cameras, lights, or other commodities. The dark figured jumped out from the tree and quickly followed behind.

"SPLIT UP! SPLIT UP! YA DO REMEMBER WHERE THE PLANE IS RIGHT?!" Vector yelled.

"OF COURSE!" The pilot yelled back. He went along with Muttski, one camera man, and two of the lighting men as Vector went along with another lighting man.

The crocodile's legs quickly ran him through the forest, making sure to dodge anything in his way. The sound of crunching leaves was loud, alerting anyone to their presence.

Vector looked behind him, seeing the figure ready a kunai. He threw it, and Vector ducked, only for the knife to stab through the lighting man from behind.

 _"Shit! Shit shit shit…"_ Vector thought. _"I'm so sorry dude…"_

Vector was more afraid then he ever was in his entire career. Here he was, about to face life or death. His ability to keep his strength and energy up was the only factor in his survival.

And then, he hit a root.

Vector fell to the ground, his hat sliding off his head. The crocodile quickly went to grab it from the floor, only to be met face to face with the attacker.

The crocodile placed his hands on the floor as he looked straight at the other towering above him. He was… a fuchsia chameleon, with lemon yellow eyes that burned of hatred. He held a kunai firmly in his hand, adjusting it slightly.

The most defining feature of his however were his clothes. They looked modern, but… they were horribly torn and ragged.

"W-what happened?" Vector asked the attacker.

No response. Instead, he raised up his kunai like a serial killer would raise up a knife.

 _"This is it…"_ Vector thought, raising up his hand to his face. _"My life… is over…"_

Suddenly, rocks were thrown at the attackers face.

"Hey, purple freak! Get us before you get our esteemed treasure hunter!" Muttski yelled.

The attacker adjusted his gaze as he jumped up into the trees. The dog yipped and ran away as the other went after him.

Vector took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. Placing a hand on his chest, he could feel his heavy heartbeat.

"That… was WAY too close…" He said. The green reptile got his leg out from the root, stretching it.

"Who… who was that? And is he the one responsible for the Holoska death?..."

Vector thought back to Guntiver and the lighting man. Mr. Infinite would be outraged… and so would their families.

He shook his head. "It's not time to mope! I gotta get outta here!"

* * *

Finally, everyone met up with each other back at the plane. The pilot opened up the stairwell and got everyone inside.

"Come everyone! Let's go go go go go!" He said quickly, jumping on inside the plane and shutting it behind him. He got into the pilot's seat and quickly turned on all the buttons, muttering "Come on, come on, come on…"

Everyone around him looked distraught and shook heavily. The canary camerawoman cried as she mourned Guntiver and the lighting man Vector was with.

The crocodile on the other hand, looked at the window.

He not only lost the ring, but two of his colleagues.

"What are we going to do… we left our cameras, and two people behind…" Muttski said. "What are we going to tell Mr. Infinite?"

"I think our question is now: who the hell was that?" Vector replied.

"We're all gonna get fired!"

"No, no I can't do this anymore," The canary said, shaking her head. "I didn't sign up for this… I didn't sign up for this…"

Vector angrily looked out the window as the pilot began to maneuver the plane to move. He failed his task and failed two dead crew members.

And the ring was still out there…

 _"I dun care if I'm gonna die, I WILL get that ring no matter WHAT…"_ he thought, gaze lowering.


	4. Returning to the Kingdom

**(AN: Hey all! Good news, I just finished my semester of college! Meaning hopefully I can write a lot more!**

 **To celebrate, here's a new chapter!**

 **And once again, thanks to everyone reviewing this! You guys really are helping out, and trust me, things are getting better now that I should be back to my old self... but I always mention that don't I?**

 **Anyway, let's prepare ourselves now that we're getting deeper into the story!)**

* * *

At sunrise the next morning, all the remaining crew of the show stood in front of Mr. Infinite and the other executives. The mood in the room was very hostile. One out of place word and the crocodile knew they were going to get yelled out.

Infinite took a deep breath, then began.

"I don't know what to say other than this: I need answers. NOW!"

Vector looked at his other crew. They all shook their heads as if they wanted the crocodile to be their voice of reason.

"Well, I uh… we did record, yes. We just… forgot our cameras."

"F-forgot your cameras?!" Ms. Uma said.

"Well now, there is a reason. We were… attacked… Ya heard what Muttski said. Someone, a chameleon, attacked us and killed Guntiver and Tommy, and we-"

"Yes, how could I forget the panic you all were in!" Mr. Infinite said, in a very fake and cheery tone. "Ah ha ha ha…. LOOK!" The jackal yelled, pointing his finger at the group. "Do you all know how much deep SHIT we're in! The families of the deceased have ALREADY hit us with a lawsuit! We're talking a big one that could take the station down. Now, I'm trying to hush everything up so the media doesn't hear about this. And FURTHER more, we have millions expecting a new episode and you all just come back with your tail in between your legs telling me about how some crew died when all of this could have been averted!"

Vector wanted to protest but bit his lip. Now that he thought about it… all of this could have been really averted had they not spent hours looking in the right place. Then maybe, just maybe… that mysterious man would have never found them.

And it was that chameleon… That rage filled eyed chameleon that struck the green reptile the most about his time in the kingdom. Who… really was that?

The crocodile was scared by Infinite slamming his fist on his desk.

"VECTOR!" He yelled, arm shaking. "I can tell your survival instincts is just as PISS POOR as your ability to hear! Now listen here, your mistake is so grave that if we lose this lawsuit… well, I hope you better have a new JOB in line! Heh heh, after all, I know the diner down the corner is hiring…"

"M-mr. Infinite! Ya surely wouldn't!" Vector said, walking up to the jackal.

"Oh, I will…" Infinite said, turning to face the crocodile. "I WILL… Do NOT test me, Vector… If everything goes well, the scandal is hushed up and I pay a good sum to the families, and request the courts to throw out the case, then perhaps you should thank your lucky stars you got to keep your job. Now GO! We'll discuss things later…"

With everyone looking more shaken, the group left the conference room with their heads down. Two security guards shut the door as Vector frustratedly took off his watch and slammed it to the ground.

"Damn, damn damn damn that chameleon! If it wasn't for his fuckin' ass, none of this would have happened!" Vector yelled.

"Vector, you can't blame this on him or yourself," The canary camerawomen said. "None of us would have expected this-"

"Oh, now yer takin' HIS side! Yer takin' a murderer's side!"

"I never once implied that! Look, Guntiver and Tommy are now just rotting corpses…. A-a-a-nd…" The bird began to audibly break into sobs. "And we-we're just here argu-uing about stupid shit!"

The girl began to sob, putting her hands over her eyes.

"Awh, get the fuck up ya lil' prissy bitch."

"Vector!" Muttski intervened. "Let Tekno go! Taking out your frustrations on her isn't going to do crap!"

"How… how DARE you sp-speak to me like that you b-bastard! It's like you DON'T give a shit! All you care about is y-your fucking paycheck!" The bird sobbed. This caused Tekno to run away, still sobbing. Muttski followed after her, leaving Vector behind with the pilot, the last cameraman and the other two lighting men.

"Whoa, don't take out your frustration on me man. I just flew you guys over," the pilot said, hands in the air. "Still though, I'm sorry all this happened… If you need me for anything, well, always be sure to call me. I did leave you my phone number when I signed up for this, didn't I?"

Vector nodded.

"Alright… You know where to reach me. Hey, come on guys," The owl said. "Wanna go get uh… ice cream?"

It was obvious the other men just simply wanted to leave the awkward situation, and they left with the pilot. This left Vector behind alone with the two security guards.

Sure enough, everything comes back to square one… and everyone around him abandons him…

* * *

Later, Vector drove home speeding past the limit. He didn't care if the signs read "SPEED LIMIT 40", nor did he care about a chump speeding ticket.

"How… how could it fucking come to this!" Vector said, slamming his hand on the wheel as his car's horn honked. The crocodile placed his hand on his forehead, figuring out what to do.

"If I'm still apart of this network, how the hell am I gonna keep comin' up with new stuff? This… this is my life…"

Vector thought back to Tekno's outburst earlier outside the conference room. Her shill shrieks about how all Vector cared about the money was true… but the crocodile simply wanted to tape her mouth shut and just make her be quiet for the rest of her life.

"Gawd, she's so annoyin'! Who gives a fuck if all I care about is the paycheck? Ya gotta eat, I do too!"

The wheels hit a pothole, causing the car to bounce upwards.

"Ugh, I just gotta get home…"

When the crocodile finally did reach his house, he got out and locked his car. Opening up the garage, Vector made his usual round of checking all the rooms to make sure no one broke in.

Dropping his bags on the floor, no care in wherever they went, the green reptile placed his hands in his pockets. Here he was, close to losing his job, and perhaps his reputation if the scandal was leaked to the public.

Gritting his teeth, he knew where right to go. Taking a right from the kitchen, he walked down the hall until he took a left. Opening the door, it lead to his exercise room.

Changing his clothes and placing on protective gloves, Vector cracked his knuckles as he walked in front of a large punching bag. He began to punch away all of his frustrations at the bag, realizing one thing:

 _"I'm gonna take a vacation… and when I do, that ring will be MINE!.."_

* * *

The next week came by.

People sat around their televisions, punching in the channel number for whatever service provider they had. 266… 305… 72…

Some had snacks around them, others drank beer, soda, or water. Some checked their watches, counting down the time for the latest episode of Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest.

Some set up livestreams, other prepared capture cards to record the episode and illegally upload it to the internet.

7:59… 8:00 P.M…

The time finally came.

The intro to the show played, images flashed across the scene alongside shots of Vector.

 _"The name's Vector. Vector the Crocodile,"_ The crocodile said through the speakers. _"I've been a professional treasure hunter fer years now. And now, I'm takin' yeh across the world to traverse prehistoric caves and crashing through forests forgotten by time, all to find artifacts from centuries ago. We're here to sell and preserve Mobius' history, and it starts with me. This… is Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest."_

The viewers of the show got excited. Finally, the episode on the Dragon Kingdom was here at last.

…until, a shot of what wasn't the Dragon Kingdom came on the TV.

It was, instead, a rerun of the first episode.

Immediately calls from angry viewers came through to Travel and Exploration's front desk. One echidna woman answered a call as the phone continued to ring.

"Travel and Exploration front desk, this is Tikal-"

"What kinda fuckin' game ya playing at, eh? Your channel is suddenly gonna hype up this special and for what? Just to replay episode 1 and give us all the middle finger?!" The man yelled.

"I apologize sir," Tikal said, clearly tired for all the times she had to explain this to every angry caller. "According to the board of directors and Mr. Vector himself, Episode 34 has been pulled from airing due to an error, and there are no plans to refilm. We do apologize, but there is nothing else we can do."

"Oh yeah? Well I'll tell you what you can do, take that phone and shove that up your cooch you little fucking whore-"

"Come again," the woman interrupted, hanging up on the man. She rubbed her tired eyes.

"I don't get paid enough for this job…" She moaned.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE**

Vector ignored the buzzes of texts coming from his phone, lying on his bed as he watched what should have been the Dragon Kingdom episode on TV.

For the past week, the crocodile had been debating on how he'd return. He knew he could give the pilot a call, but would he legitimately return back to the kingdom?

Vector shook his head. He was tired of mulling over the situation.

Getting up from his bed, he walked over to the TV stand and picked up a home phone. As he did, he looked through his business contacts, finding the one for the pilot.

"Alright… 721… 281… 9801" He mulled, punching it in and placing the phone up to his ear.

 _"Hello?"_ The pilot's wary voice said, picking up the phone just seconds after Vector pressed call.

"Hey, it's Vector," The crocodile said. "How ya been?"

 _"Oh, Vector. Geez, I thought it was ANOTHER family member telling me they're disappointed about the wrong episode. Whatever, whatever. What's up?"_

"Hey listen, this is gonna sound crazy, but I need ya to do this fer me. I know that kingdom is a creepy place, but… I ain't gonna let that ring go.

 _"V-vector… you're kidding aren't you? You're not ACTUALLY thinking of going back… are you?!"_

"I am. Heck, who knows? Maybe I'll bring back Guntiver and Tommy's body fer the family, and the cameras too."

 _"Vector, what you're doing is complete suicide! Quite frankly, I was even thinking of returning back to my job flying coach planes! At least my death will be quick and painless in a plane accident! Not with a kunai knife sticking out of me!"_

"Well, if yer clearly too much a pussy to take me, d'ya got any extra jet that can get me there?"

 _"Do you even know HOW to fly a plane?"_

"Did ya forget I'm rich? I do rich people stuff like that… 'cept ridin' horses. I never was good at that."

There was silence on the other end.

 _"…fine. But… Vector, I don't get a daredevil like you. I really DON'T."_

"If that's what I am, I'll gladly label mahself as such. I'll swing by tomorrow mornin', I'm on vacation, so it should bring me time to get the ring back and avoid that chameleon killer."

 _"Vector, I really DO worry about you. Just… please don't die out there."_

"I won't, don't worry… Now, I gotta head to bed."

 _"Oh, night."_

"Same to yeh, man. I'll meet yeh in a few days."

Vector hung up as he stretched. Here it was: his second chance to finally get the ring.

And perhaps… maybe he could do something to that chameleon in memorial of Guntiver and Tommy. After all, he knew it would have been the arctic fox and turtle's dying wish.

Vector turned off the TV and got under the covers, allowing his body to be warm. Yawning, he smacked his teeth a bit before his eyes shut. They hurt slightly as he shut them completely, beginning to snore.

* * *

 **LATER THAT WEEK**

Vector parked his car on the side of the pilot's house, making sure the wheels weren't on the grass. Before he made his way to the door, Vector opened up his glove compartment and got out the item he bought just yesterday:

A stun gun.

He placed it into his pocket, closed the door and pressed the lock button on his car's remote and walked up the concrete driveway, making his way to the front door. He rang the door bell as the green reptile took a step back, tail swooshing.

Seconds later, the owl pilot lowered his brow as he opened the door, hands behind his back.

"Hello, Vector. I assume you're here because you really are serious about this?" The owl said. The crocodile nodded.

"Honey?" The pilot called to his wife. "I'll be back. I have some business to attend at the base."

"Okay! Be safe!"

Grabbing his keys from the counter, he looked at Vector. "Let's go."

The two got into the pilot's car and pulled out of the driveway, driving down the road as the owl shifted into drive.

As they drove to their destination, Vector held his hands together as he looked outside.

"Let me ask, Vector. Why do you want to obtain that ring so bad?" The pilot asked.

"Cause no one else has, obviously. I'll be acclaimed fer it!" Vector replied.

"Does the idea of being rich and getting fame from it excite you?"

"Well, yeah… I… I gotta be the one who does it."

"And if you don't?"

"Why the hell ya questioning me?"

"Vector, I'm seeing you're more doing this just because you want money and popularity. I'm more so helping you not to guide you, but… kind of as an idea to help you back on the right track."

"How the hell am I gonna do that?"

"There's things we never expect happening to us. I think that's all I'll say. Want me to turn on the radio?"

Vector was skeptical about how the pilot asked such a bizarre question and how he just changed subjects. Nevertheless, the crocodile changed it to his favorite rock station, and the radio's knob wasn't changed for the rest of the ride.

* * *

 **AT MOBIUS 1ST DIVISON AIR FORCE BASE…"**

"Ya own this place or somethin'?" Vector asked.

"Not exactly. I practice my flight ability here, and the sergeants are happy enough to let me use the base. Heck, see that bomber right there?" The owl pointed to a black fighter jet. "That's mine."

"Sure, sure it is…"

The pilot parked the car and the two got out of it, walking over to a warehouse.

"This is the one where my extra jet is. I usually use this one for recreation. Perhaps I should teach you how to handle it. After all, it's very easy for even a learner to understand. Have you ever played those flight simulators in school? It's basically like those. Anyway, let me show them my identity.

When the two finally reached the warehouse, the owl got out his wallet and got out an ID, placing it into a slot where it came out moments later.

 _"Welcome back, Mr. Fukurokov,"_ A voice came out through speakers next to the slot.

The doors of the warehouse opened as Vector looked at the green plane. It was far smaller than the plane they took on the day he and the crew.

"You look like you're worried about space. Don't worry, the plane is big enough for the both of us. Come on then, let's go," The pilot, now identified with the surname of Fukurokov, walked towards the plane. Pressing a button on a remote, the cockpit opened up as a set of stairs came down. The two climbed the stairs and got into the cockpit, the pilot placing on a helmet and starting up the plane. The cockpit came down as the crocodile looked at the even more claustrophobic walls surrounding him.

"Ya do remember where to go, right?" Vector asked.

"Of course. How could I forget a place like that?" The pilot said.

The engines started up and the propeller spun around clockwise. The bars holding it together came off as the wheels moved and the plane began to move forward.

As the plane picked up speed, it slowly began to raise off the ground as Mr. Fukurkov pulled the yolk back. They were finally in the air, and it was time to fly until they got to the kingdom.

* * *

 **TWO HOURS LATER**

The plane began to descend in the same area as where Vector and the crew were last at. The pilot pulled back on the throttle as the plane began to wind down, the propeller slowly stopping.

"Alright, this is where I leave you. Don't you even EFFING dare make me leave this plane. I refuse," He said. The pilot opened up the cockpit and got out a notepad and pencil, writing down "IGNORE, PLEASE MOVE ON AHEAD" and placing the paper on the front of the plane. Vector got up, stretched, and dropped out from the plane. The pilot closed the cockpit as Vector looked ahead at the forest in front of him.

How could he ever forget the day he and the rest of the crew were running away from the killer chameleon? And to think that Guntiver and Tommy's bodies were somewhere…

Vector got out the stun gun in his coat pocket, making sure it worked before he began to walk forward.

Each second felt like an endurance test. The chameleon could be anywhere in the kingdom. And considering he was quite fast, the crocodile didn't know how he could traverse it as well as he could.

He made sure to turn around constantly and kept his ears open, making sure he didn't hear anyone in the trees or anyone hiding in the bushes.

Birds chirped, and noises clearly from animals echoed throughout the trees.

And in the midst of all of the panic, Vector took notice of a rusted sign in the distance. Making sure no one was around him once again, the crocodile ran forward to see what the sign read.

"Thank Chaos I got mah tetanus shot…" He said, rubbing his fingers on the sign to try and make out anything.

Squinting his eyes, he could finally make out words.

"THUNDERTOP 1 MILE"

"The hell's a thundertop?" Vector asked himself.

Still, this clearly must have led somewhere. The crocodile didn't know if this would take him to the temple where he found the ring, but it was worth checking out.

As he passed by downed trees and ruined houses, Vector took notice of a fire hydrant still spraying out water to his left. It was draining down away from him.

That was when the crocodile heard… it.

Vector turned around to see a familiar face in the trees: The killer chameleon.

He threw a kunai, and with a whoosh, aimed right at Vector. The crocodile dodged quickly as the chameleon dropped from the tree, running up to him.

Vector positioned his stun gun and fired. Electricity jolted out as it struck the chameleon. He began to yell as he dropped his kunai, falling to the ground as he began to gasp for air. Vector lowered the stun gun as he quickly ran away.

…little did Vector know that just two minutes later, the chameleon began to gain control of his senses, and moved his hand to pick up the kunai.

* * *

As Vector placed his hand on his chest, breathing heavily, he noticed it: It was the temple he had found last time.

The crocodile grinned. It was finally time he got what he came for. Hopefully he could avoid the chameleon and run back to the plane, then reveal the Scarab Jewel Ring and become the epitome of a true treasure hunter.

Vector ran inside as he looked behind, making sure the chameleon hadn't gotten up and followed in his wake.

He remembered everything clearly now… Finding the temple, the blanket and food, and…

Vector walked north, going through the archway and into the courtyard. Sure enough, the Scarab Jewel Ring was still on the ground.

"Ah ha! Gotcha!" He yelled, putting it in his pocket.

As he did, the crocodile noticed something… peculiar.

While the cameras and lights still lay where they were, Guntiver's body was nowhere to be found.

"What the? Where the hell did he go-"

Vector was interrupted when something blunt hit him. The green reptile collapsed as the chameleon overlooked him, holding a log.

* * *

It was dark and musty.

Those were the first two things Vector noticed as he slowly regained consciousness. His vision was poor as double images faded in and out.

He tried to move but found out very quickly that his arms and legs were tied up with ropes.

Vector struggled against his shackles, wondering what was going on.

"Hey! Anyone?! Can ya hear me!" He yelled.

 _"Ugh, why am I yellin'? I know no one's gonna find me out here!"_ Vector thought.

Footsteps interrupted him.

Vector's eyes widened as he could only picture who was going to come out. Could it have been some cannibal ready to feast on his organs? Or could it have been someone seeking to bribe a government for ransom?

Or maybe, just maybe…

As he walked into the room, Vector saw who it was: It was the killer chameleon.

"Yeh!" Vector spat. "Look, I dunno who the hell are ya, what the hell yer doin', or WHY yer doin' this, but ya got a lot of fuckin' nerve! Release me!"

The chameleon only stared at Vector, not saying a word.

"What's the matter? Cat got yer tongue? Perhaps yer shy?"

Still, no words.

"Okay, yer one of THOSE guys. Alright then, lemme tell ya this to tickle yer funny bone: Three mobian woman are at the park eatin' ice cream. One of them is licking her ice cream, one of them is sucking on her ice cream like a lollipop, and the last is taking bites. Of those three women, which ones got husbands?"

No response either.

"Oh c'mon! That makes everyone laugh! I'm getting' real fuckin' sick of yer façade. Let me go!"

All the chameleon did was turn around and walk away, going up the stars. Vector yelled as he began to shake his shackles, hoping they would come off.

* * *

 **A FEW HOURS LATER**

By now, Vector had given up on trying to free himself from his shackles. The crocodile simply laid there like a dummy, eyes clearly not amused by the situation.

As his stomach growled, he wondered what he could do for food. Was the chameleon going to starve him? After all, he never met anyone from the Dragon Kingdom before, who knew if that's what they did to their prisoners.

Or, perhaps that wasn't the case. The chameleon's footsteps echoed as he came down into the room. In his right hand was a large leaf with a cut of meat and some berries on it.

"Huh?" Vector questioned. The chameleon walked over to him and held it out.

"A-are ya feedin' me?"

The other nodded.

"…well could ya maybe untie me first?"

The chameleon took out a kunai and sliced the ropes. Vector collapsed to the ground as he held his wrist.

"Jeez! Thank ya, even though ya kidnapped me…"

The fuchsia reptile continued to hold out the leaf to the crocodile, who grabbed it. He walked over to the other side of the room and picked up a rock and a stick.

Vector on the other hand, devoured his meal like it was nothing.

"Oh man, could go fer a bit of steak sauce or somethin' but that's delish!" He exclaimed. "So hey, tell me. What's yer name?"

The chameleon looked up, but looked back down a few seconds later, focused on trying to make a fire.

"…okay… why do ya look like that?"

Once again, another stare, another attempt to make a fire.

"Can ya even understand what I'm telling ya?!"

The reptile looked up, but his response was different this time.

It was one slow nod.

"Huh? Ya can? Then why can't ya speak?! Hey, hello?"

 _"Ugh, this little dick is REALLY gettin' to me. He HAS to talk sometime…"_ Vector thought through gritted teeth.

"So, I'm sure ya probably know why I'm here. I'm after the Scarab Jewel Ring. Do ya know it?"

The chameleon looked at Vector, nodding while having a face that said he highly disapproved. Vector however, paid no mind to this.

"…hey, tell me this. Are… are ya mute?"

A spark.

The man looked up and nodded.

Finally, a fire started. The light of it bounced across the walls as the shadows of the two reptiles were cast along the walls. The chameleon put his hands close to the fire as he made sure it was warm, rubbed them, then laid by the fire as he put his arms around himself.

"Uh… so can I go or?..." Vector asked. He slowly inched towards the exit, making sure the chameleon wouldn't run up to stab him in the stomach. All the fuchsia reptile did was look up, close his eyes, and nod before laying back down.

Vector took one step before bolting it, quickly running up the stairs and placing his hand on his chest and breathing heavily once he got out. It was now night time.

"How long have I been out? Heaven knows what happened to the pilot!..." He coughed. "Jeez… that… that was close… But why was he suddenly so nice to me?"

 _"And more importantly… how the hell am I gonna get answers about the ring and what happened here?..."_ He thought. In that moment, he checked his pocket and-

The ring was gone.

"Oh, god damn! He took the ring!" Vector yelled.

He thought, _"Hm… guess I WILL try to have to warm up to this guy so I can take that ring… But first thing's first: I gotta find out how to talk to him. Maybe… pen and paper? Yeah, havin' him write out his statements. And with that, I should be good!"_


	5. His First Words

**(AN: Welcome all to a new Chapter! Glad to be able to get this out before I head off to work later today. I was kinda being a bit lazy writing this now that I'm off from school, but hey, I got it done, and I think it turned out great!**

 **I've got nothin' real new to report, only that this is gonna be the point where we'll be seeing just how Vector and that strange chameleon who I'm sure we all know who he is will communicate!**

 **So let's get started!)**

* * *

Since the night he had come home from the Dragon Kingdom, Vector had been thinking about the encounter with the strange chameleon.

 _"Why?"_ Was the only word in Vector's mind. _"Why did this guy who just… killed two of mah crew, suddenly spare me after I tasered him…"_

Vector pulled up a chair from the corner of the room and sat down at his desk, finger on his snout.

"This dun make any sense…" He crossed his arms, slouching in his chair. "It's like... like the dude had a change of heart or somethin'… It doesn't make sense... nope, not one bit..."

A call interrupted his thoughts. The crocodile turned to look at the home phone by the stand in the corner, which was ringing. Getting up, Vector walked over to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?" He said.

 _"Ah, Vector. Still awake at the godly hour of 10 it seems,"_ It was Mr. Infinite.

"Oh, Mr. Infinite! Sorry sorry, just... got some stuff on mah mind."

 _"Really? What kind of stuff?"_

Now this is where Vector found confliction. Would he really tell him the truth that he had been to the kingdom once again?

...no. In his moment of thought, Vector decided to lie.

"Nothin' important, just... family stuff."

 _"I see... Anyway, that's not why I'm here to call, Vector. Listen, Muttski and I just got off the phone discussing a possible idea for filming a new Episode 34. Now, I know you're still probably shaken up by it but fortunately, my lawyers are taking care of hushing the family and the court up-"_

"Wait... how are ya doin' that anyway?..."

 _"Oh ho ho! Details, details, Vector! I'd be here all day discussing them but that's not what we're here to talk about! Okay, so we decided perhaps the next episode should take place in Shamar. According to locals, they uncovered a tomb of one of the earliest rulers of Shamar. However, in those same tombs are scriptures from the ruler's personal priest. That should be your new target. Now, we'll discuss this next week, and set you up with a crew. Muttski's been working hard on a script, so let's try to forget our last failure!"_

"S-sure... Okay, give me a call whenever I can come by."

 _"Of course, of course. Have a good night and enjoy the rest of your vacation. Ha, never mind while we're all here busting our asses on this."_

"No need to guilt me, _sir._ "

There was a pause of silence before Infinite spoke up again.

 _"Very well. Sleep tight."_

Infinite hung up as Vector put down the phone. The last thing he wanted to do right now was treasure hunt and explore. After all, the Scarab Jewel Ring was still out there.

But it was its protector that had Vector fixated.

A mute boy with completely tattered clothes as if he had been a stowaway for years, and a kingdom isolated from the rest of the world, overgrown with vegetation and no one asking: "What happened?"

Vector had been on many expeditions since he had become a treasure hunter, but easily his biggest and toughest one would be one simple task: Discover the truth about what happened to the Dragon Kingdom.

The first thing he knew he had to do was to get answers from the man himself: the strange mute fuchsia chameleon.

He remembered what he thought of doing back when he was running back to the plane earlier tonight. Pen and paper... pen and paper...

Vector walked over to his desk once again and opened the drawers, looking for a notebook. He found one in the bottom right drawer, opening it up and quickly flipping its pages to make sure it was completely blank. After seeing it was the case, he grabbed a pencil, and flipped to the first page.

 _"My name is Vector, what is yours?"_ He wrote onto the first line.

After admiring the line, Vector left his office room and tried to remember where his cell phone was.

"Was it in the entertainment room?... or the bedroom?"

Deciding to check his bedroom first, Vector walked down the dark hall and walked up the stairs to his left. On the second floor, he walked to the right and made one final left through the door that led to his bedroom. Sure enough, his phone was on his nightstand.

Going through his phone logs, he found the number for Mr. Fukurokov. Pressing call, he put it on speaker as he waited for the pilot to pick up.

 _"Vector? Is that you?"_ The pilot asked.

"Heh, how did ya know it was me?" Vector replied.

 _"I... kinda had a bit of a sixth sense. Anyway, what's wrong? Don't tell me you forgot something in the kingdom and you need to go back."_

"Well, not really. But... it DOES kinda have something to do with that last part."

 _"Ohh, okay okay I... wait, WHAT?!"_ The pilot exclaimed. _"Yo-you... you are... YOU'RE GOING BACK?!"_

There was a second of silence before a woman on the line yelled, _"Honey? Please don't yell, you'll wake Karen up."_

"Yeah, man. Yer gonna wake Karen up," Vector teased.

 _"Oh, shut up, Vector. But... why the hell do you want to go back?!"_

"…it's what I told ya on the plane. That chameleon... there's somethin' about him... that I just feel he's the answer to what happened in the kingdom. I wanna get close to him so I can get that ring, but also... find out the truth."

 _"Okay, but here's my question: are you going to take like HOURS like last time? Quite frankly, I was scared!"_

"...ya were asleep as soon as I got to the plane."

 _"Yeah! Scared myself to sleep!"_

"Ya can't scare yerself to sleep."

 _"My mother always said I could. And there was a way to make sure I didn't."_

"Really? What was it?"

 _"I dunno. I never paid attention."_

Vector slapped his forehead. "Look, whatever. What if I borrow one of yer planes?"

 _"Vector... I know you're not... how do I say this? One of the world's smartest people, but... I'm sure BOTH of us know that, for the life of us, you CAN'T fly a plane. I mean, have you ever done that before?"_

"...no."

 _"Then how the hell are you going to do it?"_

"Buy my own private plane?..."

 _"Ha, funny. You're going to buy a plane without any knowledge of how to use it, FURTHER MORE, you don't even have a license! You mean to tell me you ACTUALLY plan to break the law just to go to some abandoned place?"_

"...maybe."

The pilot sighed. _"Sometimes, I even wonder why I bother with you. Alright! You know what? Fine, go ahead. Buy the damn plane, learn how to fly without a license. You kids can look up anything on the internet anyway. But let me tell you buddy: I watched a pal of mine die in a horrific plane accident. Only thing that was left of him was his head. The helmet was still on him! Do you want that to happen to you?!"_

"Is this a guilt trip, some fear-mongerin' bullshit, or all of the above?"

 _"Ugh! Good night!"_

The pilot hung up as Vector shook his head.

Fukurokov DID have a point. Where was Vector going to not only buy a plane, but also learn how to fly it, and do it in a short amount of time to where he could not only find the ring, but also that the chameleon hadn't died from something like a disease or starvation.

Vector shook his head. He HAD to find something, and fast...

* * *

And sure enough, he did.

On Sunday, Vector was able to get into contact with a private pilot for smaller commercial planes. He was a rather husky walrus, but he didn't mind. Sure enough, the two struck up a conversation, and a deal was made to make him the crocodile's private pilot.

Sure enough, he happened to have a plane of his own, and part of the deal required this to be Vector's new plane. At least, until the day the crocodile decided to fire him.

After talking with him over breakfast at a diner on the next morning, it was decided that as this was Vector's last day, they would get moving to the Dragon Kingdom.

Driving to Mobius 1st Division Air Force Base, Vector held his notebook and pen tight as he noted that this was the same place Mr. Fukurokov kept his plane.

"Well, I got my training here," The walrus explained. "I did do air force for a bit, but it wasn't my thing. Unfortunately, I had to stay for the four years before they even let me out with a discharge. Been doing private piloting since then. At least the guys here are okay with me using it. Okay, here we are."

The car was parked as the two walked over to the warehouse where the walrus' plane was.

"So tell me again, you're looking for the Dragon Kingdom, right?" He asked. Vector nodded.

"Yuppers."

"Weird, man. I would have always thought that place was abandoned, or for that matter, not even a place you could visit. The way it worked was so different from anywhere else on Mobius."

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's how my instructor explained it anyway."

The cockpit of the plane opened up. "Okay, get in, Vec. We'll be in the air in a hot minute."

Vector got into the backseat as the walrus got into the pilot's main seat, pushing buttons as the blades on the front began to move.

"Now this thing is a lot faster than Fukurokov's plane. I've done a lot more modifying to this bad boy," said the walrus pilot.

"How long is it gonna take us?" Vector asked.

"Probably around... half an hour?"

"Jeez, is this thing on interdimensional mode or somethin'?"

"It could be. Or it could just be my own dirty secret, heh heh. Anyway, try not to panic or move in your chair. The turbulence can be a little rough."

"The wha-"

The plane was off in just a second. Vector shut his eyes as he felt the turbulence and the plane's nose rising. He just HOPED it didn't stall at a time like this.

Sure enough, it didn't, and the plane zoomed across the sky like a jet.

* * *

 **HALF AN HOUR LATER**

"Okay, Vector. With how this plane is designed, I can't actually land it correctly in a place like this," The walrus explained as he saw the kingdom to the distance. "So, I prepared for you a little something. Here, put your notepad in here and wear it."

He handed the crocodile a... backpack.

"Uh... dude? What is this?" Vector asked, putting it on.

"You know how to use a parachute?"

"Oh, duh. I've been skydivin' before."

"Then you don't need me to tell you! Happy landing!"

"Alright!... uh, what... UH DUDE, ARE YA MAKIN' ME-"

The cockpit ejected upwards as Vector flew up into the air, screaming.

"AHHHHH! YER A REAL ASSHOLE YA KNOW THAT!" He screamed, arms flapping in the air. The ground got closer and closer, and the green reptile knew he had to overcome his shock and get his parachute started. Placing his hands on the string, he pulled it as the parachute opened up. The crocodile's limbs dangled and swung back and forth as he slowly descended back to the earth.

"Ah... much better..."

After a few minutes, Vector finally landed back onto the ground. The parachute behind him flopped on the ground in a peaceful kind of manner. He didn't want to pollute the kingdom anymore than it already was, so he stuffed the parachute back into the backpack. Along with getting out his notepad and pen, he also took notice of a remote.

"Use this and I'll know to pick you right up! This same remote will also alert you for when I'm here! -Rotor" A sticky note on the remote said.

Closing up the backpack and placing it on his backside, Vector walked along the forest as he heard the sound of the animals.

"Hey! Chameleon dude! Ya here! It's me, Vector!" Vector called. "Ya know! The guy who was apart of that crew with two people ya killed! The guy who ya kidnapped then fed berries and meat to? Hello?!"

Vector continued to walk until he found a large open space.

"What the? I haven't found this place last time I was here..."

As the crocodile continued to walk along the space, he noticed a hollowed out building. A decrepit sign hung at an angle reading "Drug".

Before Vector could even walk up to the building, the drug sign fell off from the building and crashed to the ground. Shards of plastic fell everywhere. The crocodile put his arm over his eyes, then looked up seconds later.

"Jeez... nowhere is safe here I guess... then again, I learned that here on my first day…"

Vector walked into the building. The first thing he noticed was the containers of what he assumed were prescriptions and medications, now all over the floor. Only very few bottles of aspirin and other pills stayed on the countertop. He walked on his toes across the floor filled with spilled snacks and drinks, and other items you would find in a drug store.

During one instance, he took notice of an aisle saying "Women's health", and went through it. Whatever was on the shelf originally was now all over the floor.

Looking back at where the rack of cigarettes was, he continued to make his track across the floor. He then found himself above a closed up place reading "Pharmacy".

"Jeez, what's that smell?" Vector complained, putting his shirt over his nostrils. "It's like somethin' puked in here!"

Looking over the countertop, that's when he saw it:

A dead, decomposing body wearing a white coat.

Vector felt like he heard a scare chord in his mind, and quickly ran out from the drug store, trying not to pass over any exposed wire while also not caring about what he stepped on.

As he finally made it outside, he put his hand on his chest and took a deep breath.

"What... what the hell... was that? A... a dead body?!"

Now it only felt like things were making more and more sense, if only a little bit. Could... could the chameleon do this?

Considering all the decrepit buildings in front of him, this led Vector to a conclusion.

"Did that guy... murder everyone here? He's like some, serial killer from a movie! But... why did nobody do anythin'?"

Vector didn't want to keep looking in the other buildings. Chaos only KNEW what'd be in those other buildings...

* * *

Getting out of what he assumed was some kind of town or... something... he followed the road to the east as he passed by a hill. Going up it, that's when the crocodile noticed him from down below: it was the chameleon. He was coming down from a tree, fruits in his shirt. He didn't quite know what kind of fruits they were. One thing was for certain, Vector found his guy.

"Oh hey, there ya aREEE!-"

Vector slipped, missed his landing, and rolled down the hill. His notepad and pen quickly flew out from his hands as the chameleon stood up, alarmed at the reptile he had seen many times before.

"Ow... ow damn... this hurts!"

Vector pushed himself up, shook his head, and rubbed the dirt off of him.

"Oh, h-heya man... Miss me?" Vector asked the chameleon. The fuchsia reptile simply looked at him, holding a stick in one hand, and holding the flaps of his shirt containing all the fruits he collected in the other.

"Awh dang, where's my pen and notebook! Pen and notebook, where are ya?!" Vector asked, looking around. He quickly found the notebook a foot's length away and the pen not too close, and upon grabbing them, walked up to the chameleon.

"Yeah yeah, wrong landin'. Been goin' through that a lot. Anyway, what's up?"

Once again, the chameleon didn't respond.

"Ah! Guess we're not doing kunai throwin' today? I think it's fruit season, eh? Whacha got? Apples, berries... ooh! Even dragon fruits! So that's why them dang things have been expensive lately!"

And yet again, no response.

"I get yer not talkin' cause of... somethin'. But fear not! I got a workaround!" Vector held up the notebook trimphantly. "Ya know how to read and write, right?"

The chameleon slowly nodded.

"Well, here ya are! There's a lot I wanna ask, but let's start off with this!"

Vector held out the pen and notebook as the chameleon took it. He read the first line, _"My name is Vector, what is yours?",_ and began to write. The reptile returned it to the other, and Vector read it.

 _"My name is Espio."_

"Espio... that's yer name, correct?" He asked. The chameleon, Espio, nodded.

Vector began to write immediately, _"What happened in the Dragon Kingdom, Espio?",_ and gave it to him.

Espio's brow only lowered before he wrote for a brief moment. He gave it back to Vector. " _I have seen many... unexplainable horrors... I do not wish to discuss it..."_ It said.

"What the heck does this mean?" Vector asked, pointing at the notebook.

Espio only glared at him before he turned around, walking away.

"Hey, wait up! Ya still haven't told me about what went on here! Where's yer family, any friends, anyone ya know! Why did I find a dead body-"

Espio quickly turned around and angrily grabbed Vector's notepad, writing in a quick manner. He shoved it in Vector's face when he was done.

 _"Look, I don't know who you are, but LEAVE ME ALONE. I refuse to see anyone from anywhere, and you're only opening up old wounds. I'm only letting you alive because I know you have some kind of important aura surrounding you. Now if I were you, I would LEAVE, and forget I ever existed... that's what I want to happen anyway..."_

Vector's face fell as he read this. It was like hearing a testimony from someone suffering from depression. He looked up to see the chameleon turned away.

"Hey, listen dude... I didn't mean to hurt ya... I just... I just feel like I gotta know what happened here. Everyone back where I came from just assumed yeh guys went off the map fer some reason... But I know that's not what happened... so... I ain't tryin' to invade yer anythin'…"

Vector knew that last part was bull. He was still after that ring despite what he just said.

"What... what I'm tryin' to say is, I ain't gonna let ya be forgotton by the world."

Espio turned around to look at Vector, then held his hand out for the notebook and pen. Passing it to him, the chameleon wrote down what he needed to say and gave it back to Vector.

 _"Thank you, but... it's too late. Soon, all the food here will be either gone or go bad, and I... will starve to death. I cannot commit suicide, I must live for myself... or die for myself..."_

Espio then turned around, leaving Vector behind.

"This guy... he's somethin' alright... he's more than I ever thought... and I'm gonna find out more."

Vector followed behind Espio again, and even if the chameleon didn't like it, he knew Espio might eventually reveal something...


	6. Waiting for an Answer

**(AN: As we continue on with the newly introduced Espio and Vector, welcome back to Treasure Trove! The fanfiction where... stuff happens... like everything else!**

 **Eh, I've been slacking on these fics a lot. Often times I don't wanna work on them, but hey, gotta work through the pain, ya know? After all, they won't write themselves.**

 **This chapter is a lil' on the filler side, but I promise that next chapter, we got some more exciting stuff happening. This is just a conclusion to the rest of the day where Espio introduced himself to Vector.**

 **Other than that, I... finished Sonic Generations... like, 7 years too late lmao.**

 **And with that, let's get started!)**

* * *

"So hey, I know ya want me to like, leave and shit. But... maybe a lil somethin' else could help me? Please?"

Vector followed after Espio, who still held his stick and the flaps of his shirt containing all the fruits. The chameleon only looked back at him, eyes glaring at the crocodile.

"Like, ya could be like, 'Oh Vector, I'm a mass murderer and I'm comin' for ya next!', o-or maybe 'Molasses came and destroyed all of the Dragon Kingdom.' Which would be weird cause everywhere would be sticky and yeh would be set fer life with all the molasses 'till ya get like diabetes or somethin', and then-"

The green reptile crashed into a tree, distracted by his long rambling. Espio did nothing but continue to walk, not even bothering to help Vector.

"Uh... a lil' help dude?!"

Seeing as how Espio wasn't going to turn around, Vector got up and held onto the tree, feeling dizzy.

"Whew... that was close... Uh, hey! Wait up!" He yelled, picking up the notebook and pen that fell from his hands and running back to the chameleon. "So hey, where we goin' now?"

They started climbing a hill, and Espio stopped at the top. Vector came up right behind him and stood next to him.

"So hey, why did we sto... oh..."

Vector looked down at the large drop below him to see a mess of destroyed homes everywhere.

"Uh... guess there's no way to pass, right?" He asked.

Espio took a few steps back and began to run. Vector's jaw dropped.

"Hey there! What in the name of Chaos are ya doin'?!"

He jumped, and Vector tried to reach out and grab the chameleon but couldn't. It wasn't until he looked up that he saw that Espio swung onto multiple ropes in the trees, getting onto branch from branch.

"Jeez! How does the kid do that? Oh well, better follow him!"

Vector placed his notebook and pen into his backpack. He looked down for a moment, then looked back up, getting vertigo from seeing the large fall.

"Sweet gods above, make sure I dun die today!" The crocodile said.

He did the same thing the fuchsia chameleon did: take a few steps back, then run and jump. While he did get onto the rope, he noticed the tree branch that held it lowered quite a lot. The more he stayed on it, the more he knew it would tear off because of how heavy he was.

...only that when he tried to jump off, he couldn't.

"E-eeh..." He mumbled, looking down at the ruined houses below. One wrong step and Vector knew his body would be the next thing to add to the pile of rubble below.

"No, can't be scared! This ain't the first time I traversed deep pits! Gotta stay focused!"

Vector swung himself back and forth before hearing the twigs of the branch creak. Knowing he didn't like that noise, the crocodile jumped off when he swung forth, latching onto the next one, and the next one. Soon enough, he was able to jump across each rope, and land safely onto the top of a hill before, walking down to avoid rolling down it like he had last time.

"Uh, Espio? Where are ya?" Vector yelled. He looked back and forth, looking like a lost child at a grocery store. "Where the hell could he have gone? North? East? West? I dunno! Uh... gotta make a guess... Let's see... I dun recognize this place, so I gotta trust mah explorer's instinct... So that's why I'm sayin' I should goooooo... East!"

Vector ran to the east, following the road ahead. He noticed a billboard advertising a radio station. The sign was practically torn and graffitied, the woman on the advertisement having large eyebrows and saying "Please pee your pants tonight, Dragon Kingdom!"

The crocodile grinned at that. Whoever made that had a very juvenile sense of humor, but it was something you could still get a laugh at.

Continuing down the road, he passed what clearly was some kind of highway across a bridge. A lake passed below him, but it was green and very dirty. Trash and litter was everywhere, and worst of all, the crocodile could swear he saw clothes and even at one point... made out a face in the water.

Once he saw that, he didn't look down at the river at all until he made it across. Vector looked up as he sighed, seeing that Espio was still some distance away.

"So hey, are ya done with the silent treatment? I'd really love to hear a response from ya!..." He called out, running to the chameleon.

* * *

Espio kept his unamused face for the entire trip. Once again, his face wouldn't change once he had to cross the river.

"Oh yeah, I remember this!" Vector said, snapping his fingers. "Yeah, we passed by here, me 'n mah crew! Before ya kinda... eh heh..."

The chameleon ignored the large reptile as he jumped across the rocks protruding out from the water. Despite all this time and how many action movie-esqe moves Espio did, no fruit ever fell out from his shirt flap.

"Dude's impressive, lemme say that!" Vector commented to himself. "Alright, time to get movin'!"

Vector took a step then jumped...

...then slipped and fell into the water.

"Argh! Help! Help! Someone he- Oh wait, Imma croc. I can just swim."

All the while as Vector attempted to get back up to the surface, Espio simply watched him.

"Uh... ya mind givin' me a hand, Espio?"

The chameleon walked away.

"ESPIO?!"

Finally climbing out with soaking wet clothes, Vector followed behind Espio as the clothes he had on continued to drip water.

"Yyyyuck, I feel the water seepin' into mah boxers. That feels SO uncomfortable..." He said, waddling like a penguin to avoid the feeling.

The crocodile noticed he was back in the temple where he was the past two times he was here. Remembering that this is where Espio 'lived', he walked inside and saw the small reptile sitting on a blanket in the middle of the granite floor. He sliced one of his knives through one of the dragon fruit he got and bit into the flesh of the fruit. He made sure to scoop up any leftover flesh with his hand.

"H-hey! I finally got here! Never mind ya kinda left me behind..." Vector said, announcing his presence to Espio. "Ya eatin' yer fruit? Looks good..."

Espio turned his back away from the crocodile, as if to say; "Hands off my fruit."

"Whoa, whoa now! I ain't gonna eat yer food! Quite frankly I can eat out whenever the hell I want cause I'm loaded as hell! Besides, ya look hungrier than me!" Vector said, shaking his hands.

In response, the chameleon made a shooing motion with his hand.

"Wait... ya want me to go? I mean, sure ya could say I've been annoyin' but... at least ya got company... Fine! See if I care!"

Vector turned around and grumbled, leaving Espio behind to eat his fruit.

"Silent lil' bastard... how does he even live the life he does?..." The crocodile said to himself. "I could never be like him..."

Getting out the remote he had in his backpack, he pressed the button as something came out from the speaker on the front of it.

"Ah, Vector. Ready to head back home?" The walrus named Rotor asked.

"Yeah yeah. I'm done here fer the day."

"Alright. Just give me a few. I'll meet you... somewhere and drop down a ladder."

"Kay-o. Just tell me when yer here, I'll find ya from here."

Vector sat down on a boulder by the temple, looking back inside to see Espio now biting into an apple.

 _"Eh, I'll do somethin' about him later. I'll inquire 'bout the ring soon. I still gotta find out what happened..."_ He thought to himself.

Thirty minutes later, Vector could hear the sound of a jet in the sky as he saw, through the sea of trees, Rotor's plane. The crocodile got up from the rock, finished messing with the two pieces of wood chips he held. He turned around to see that Espio was nowhere to be found. Knowing that he most likely had his midday snack, the crocodile ran over to where the plane was. Sure enough, it was right in the river area, and the ladder the walrus said would be there was right in front of him.

Vector climbed up the ladder and once he got into the cockpit, pulled it back up.

"Welcome back to civilization, Vector. How did it go?" Rotor asked.

"I found out the guy's name... Espio..." He replied.

* * *

 **TWO WEEKS LATER**

Vector and his crew were at their hotel in Shamar. That day's filming was finished, and the camera crew was uploading the footage to the Travel & Exploration's servers.

Meanwhile, the crocodile was on the phone with Mr. Infinite.

 _"Glad to see you're back to your normal self, Vector. How has filming gone for you so far?"_ The jackal asked.

"Oh, good, I guess. Some of the locals seem to be pretty hostile towards us. Ya sure we're doin' somethin' right by going into a part of the tombs we shouldn't be at?"

 _"Oh, nonsense, nonsense, Vector. I did have talks with Shamar officials after all. They're fine with it, just as long as we don't happen to sell whatever we find... although, we don't have to TELL them, do we?"_

The way Mr. Infinite worded what he said made the scales on Vector's arms go cold. He didn't like the implications of that but knew better than to protest.

"So sir, I gotta ask, when do I got mah next vacation time?"

 _"Vacation? Oh no no no, Vector, you just already took one, didn't you? We can't be giving you vacations to go let you wander off being some drunk fool. No, we've been trying to order more episodes from you guys so we can hush up the public about what happened earlier this month but also so we don't have viewers. If you're thinking of taking a break, can it."_

"B-but I-!"

 _"No buts, Vector. The entertainment industry is naturally a very tiring and stressful field! It comes and goes. Maybe if we see some really good footage, perhaps I'll consider giving you at least one day off..."_

"...alright, _sir._ "

 _"Excellent! Ooh, look at that! The footage from today is uploaded onto our servers! I'll take a look at them myself before I pass them onto the editing room! I expect great footage tomorrow too. Ta ta for now."_

Mr. Infinite hung up as Vector put down his phone, rubbing his eyes.

He knew his boss wasn't going to let him take a break now that it seemed like more filming was going to be done. Now how was he supposed to get to the Dragon Kingdom now?...

"This is balls..." Vector murmured to himself, stirring the straw in his glass of water. "What the hell am I gonna do fer Espio now?... Guess I gotta wait till filmin' is done and pray I got at least one day to mahself... unless I fly at night... Eh, Rotor will probs be tired anyway..."

"Vector? You're talking to yourself," one of the cameramen said, lying on the bed and browsing social media.

Embarrassed, the crocodile grabbed his glass of water and quickly drank from his straw. He turned away from the man, not wanting to look at him.

"Hey, Vector. What do you think of these?" One of the guides asked, his short beaver legs walking up to the crocodile with some pictures. "I know we're on the lookout for the scriptures, but I think there might be a way to get some of the past ruler's belongings that were left to him once he died. So the plan is-"

"Kid, can I just be alone with mah thoughts?!"

"First of all, it's MAY I be alone with my thoughts, second it's-"

"Whatever, I dun care 'bout improper grammar right now. I'll discuss yer lil' plan later."

Vector got out from his seat, leaving behind the shocked crew in the room. He walked right down the hall and in front of the elevator. Pressing the button for it, the doors opened as he went inside, going up to floor 6: the highest floor in the building. As the doors opened, he was taken to the rooftop. Passing by the various people, he pulled up a chair from one of the nearby tables and sat down.

"Ugh... I swear I'm overthinkin'… that chameleon... there's just some kinda aura 'bout him... I still dunno how to think of him..."

Vector rubbed his temples. All he wished right now was for filming to end...

And for the time he spent on the rooftop, all he could think about was the chameleon and the abandoned kingdom...


	7. Espio, the lost soul

**(AN: Well hello all! Welcome back to more Rooming In!**

 **Man, today was eventful. My work money got eaten by an ATM and I now just got all of it into my bank account. Trust me, I was not a happy person before I got the call that it was back in.**

 **But other than that, yeah, nothing much going on. And enough about my personal life!**

 **Now that we're continuing with the fic, these next few chapters will focus on Vector and Espio bonding together. Don't worry, the Vecpio WILL be coming soon!**

 **And with that, I leave you all!)**

* * *

After the Shamar episode was filmed and the crew flew back to Central City, Infinite spoke with Vector on the phone regarding the next episode's filming.

 _"I figured you're all tired, so, I've decided to give you at least a one-day break. As you know, Muttski flew back here two nights ago and we found our next artifact. You heard about the Ark of the Cosmos?"_ Mr. Infinite said.

"Well, duh," The other replied said. "What treasure hunter HASN'T heard of 'em? They're believed to be ancient artifacts owned by the Babylonians that manipulate gravity. Lemme guess, we're goin' to the Babylon Garden? Ya know, the Rogues of Babylon really dun like it when ya take their stuff... One guy I know tried to take the magic lamp of the Babylon Guardian... He got roughed up by them BAD. Are ya sure ya guys are okay with me 'n the crew takin' on that?" The crocodile suddenly looked worried. He didn't know why Mr. Infinite wanted him to go THERE... Surely, if one of the arks were stolen...

 _"Well, unlike the people of Shamar, who says we have to let them know?..."_

"Sir, don't you think this is... invasion of some kind? I know you said we're trying to avoid lawsuits since the Dragon Kingdom, but I think doing stuff like this-"

 _"Enough bickering, Vector! You are to bring back the Ark of the Cosmos! The network demands it, the viewers demand it, I demand it!"_

It began to sink in to the crocodile as he simply stared blankly into dead space, holding his phone up to his ear.

Ever since the Dragon Kingdom incident, Mr. Infinte's personality has been changing. To think that the man was just so... okay with robbing from other people!... It sickened Vector in a way that he never felt before. Something about this... didn't feel like exploring or treasure hunting... it was robbery...

 _"Why am I suddenly against this?..."_ Vector thought to himself, shaking his head. _"I wanna find real treasure, not rob..."_

But even with a changed sense of morality, Vector knew he could only say one thing.

"I understand, sir."

 _"Excellent... Well Vector, I'm sure while you all will be filming in the Babylon Garden, we'll be editing the Shamar episodes. I do hope you enjoy your little one day vacatation. 'Till two days from now!"_

Mr. Infinite hung up, and Vector couldn't help but feel an emotion of... anger and sadness towards his higher up.

"Ugh... I can't think 'bout this now," He muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Once I get home, I gotta contact Rotor and meet up with Espio..."

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY**

Once again, Rotor's jet zoomed through the sky as the walrus announced there was only two minutes left until they were overlooking the kingdom. Vector held the parachute backpack tight, knowing that the walrus was going to open up the cockpit and throw him out into the sky.

"We're coming close. You ready, Vector?" Rotor asked. The crocodile nodded in response.

He pressed a button as the cockpit opened, and the large green reptile zoomed out from the jet. He fell down from the sky, shutting his eyes as the heavy wind hit his face. Vector pulled on the string of the backpack as his parachute activated. The crocodile slowly fell down towards the trees of the kingdom. Knowing he'd get stuck staying where he was, Vector pushed himself up as he landed on one of the branches, making sure it didn't snap due to how heavy he was.

"Whew... that was close..." He said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Now, time to find Espio. Where could that short lil' dude be?"

Vector jumped down from branch to branch carefully, taking a few seconds to listen and make sure there was no snap of the branch.

Sure enough, as the crocodile scouted the area, he noticed he was by the dome he recalled Muttski and Tekno passing by. There were a few houses nearby, but as with the other ones he saw, they were damaged and... black?

Vector squinted his eyes and made sure he wasn't seeing anything. Sure enough, the wood of the houses were charred black, almost as if they were set on fire. And sure enough, coming out of the dome was Espio. He held a knapsack on his waist and held one of his kunai knives in his right hand.

"Oh, there ya are!" Vector called out, jumping down from the trees faster. "Hey, hey Espio! Over here! It's me, Vector!"

When Vector climbed down completely, Espio ran up to him with a murderous look in his eyes. He held the knife in his hand hard and raised it up.

"Wait! Wait wait wait, hol' up! Hold up! Espio, it's me!" Vector screamed, holding his hands up to his face. "Jeez, I ain't some random person!"

When Espio saw who it was, he lowered his knife and changed his expression. It was one that said, "Oh, you're back."

"H-hey... how's things been hangin'? Oh, wait, ya dun respond to words. Here, lemme just get mah... pen and notebook... Where the heck is it?..."

Vector took off his backpack and got out the supplies he needed. Opening it up, he drew a line over the last conversation they had as Vector wrote, _"How's it hanging?"_ He wrote.

Handing it to Espio, the chameleon grabbed the pen as he began to write. He handed the notebook to Vector, which said _"Nothing much."_

"Ah, lucky. Wish I could have yer profession. I've been stuck in Shamar fer filmin' fer 'bout... two weeks now? And today's mah only free day before I gotta go to the Babylon Garden. Say, ya dun know 'bout what I do, do yeh? Here, lemme tell yeh right here."

Vector began to write about his career, making sure to insert many words that praised him as a person and as a treasure hunter. He handed it proudly back to Espio, who read it and had on a face that Vector couldn't make out. Jealously? Anger?

The chameleon began to write and gave his response back to the crocodile in just a few words, _"If only I had your life."_

 _"Wow, sarcasm..."_ Vector thought to himself. "Hey, that's enough outta me. Listen, where we off to today?"

Just as he handed the notebook to Espio, there was a sudden sound of something in the grass nearby.

A twig snapped, and Vector quickly zoomed his head to the location of where he heard the noise.

"Espio?... Uh, we're the only ones here, aren't we?"

The chameleon walked forwards, eyes closed. He pulled out his kunai from his knapsack, holding out his arm towards Vector.

"Ya... want me to stay back? Why? What's goin' on-" The crocodile said. Vector was suddenly interrupted by the squeal of a boar.

"What the?! Espio... if that's what I thought it was, then are ya really gonna take it-"

Once again, Vector found himself getting interrupted as the grass bust open, and a very angry boar came running at the two reptiles. The green reptile was frozen with fear, not sure what on what to really do. It was more so Espio he was worried about.

"Yer not gonna like, wrestle this guy fer his milk or somethin', are ya?"

Espio readied his position, held his kunai tight, and threw it.

The boar continued to charge and continued to do so as the kunai missed. Vector's jaw dropped as Espio looked a little taken aback himself.

"Ha ha, okay Espio, I'm REALLY hopin' ya got a plan B set up. If ya don't, we're REALLY in some deep shit!" Vector said,

Just as the boar was just inches away, Espio jumped and Vector dodged out of the way as the animal turned around, ready to charge after them.

Sure enough, as the chameleon fished around in his knapsack, he pulled out another kunai, and finally threw it at the boar. It hit him right at his side, and the boar squealed as it fell to the floor.

"Nice hit, man! Ya got it!"

Espio walked up to the boar, crouched down, and pulled the knife out. He loomed over the animal, then looked at the crocodile. He made a circling motion, as if to tell him, _"Don't watch."_

Complying with the fuchsia reptile, Vector turned around, only hearing the sound of a squealing boar dying out along with the sound of a knife stabbing through flesh and meat.

* * *

"So uh... I get this is like food fer ya, but... why am I carryin' the carcass?!" Vector exclaimed, holding the dead body of the boar. Espio simply looked up at Vector, and holding the reptile's notebook and pen, began to write, showing it to him when it was done.

 _"You're the strong one."_

"Oh hardy har har, I'm the big bad crocodile and that means I'm now yer personal treasure chest?"

Espio simply nodded, and Vector huffed.

Walking back to the temple that the chameleon called 'home', Espio held his hand out as he walked into a hallway, turning left. He came back a few minutes later with some wood.

"Where the heck did ya get that from?" Vector questioned. "And wait, wood? Ya gonna cook this?"

Espio nodded again as he brought the wood down onto the marble floor.

"Just as long as it don't land anywhere, I think it should be safe to cook this here. Here, I think I have a lighter, just lemme-"

Vector found the lighter along with a pack of cigarettes.

"Pff, why did Rotz give me this? I dun smoke."

Placing the tobacco back into his backpack, he lit up the lighter and tried to set ablaze the wood. Due to their size however, it was not possible.

"Ugh, I could really use gasoline at a time like this. Hey Espio, ya got anythin' around here? Here, lemme see if there's anything I could use..."

Placing down the boar carcass onto the floor, Vector walked over to the hallway and and entered to the left, wondering if there was anything in the room Espio got the wood from that he could use. Seeing all the torn-up books and down bookcases led the crocodile to believe he was in a library.

"Perfect! I could use one of these books fer the fire! Here, lemme just get-"

Just as Vector picked up one book, Espio slapped it out of his hand. He shook his head as Vector looked annoyed.

"Hey, what gives?! This is perfect fer the fire!"

Still holding the notebook and the pen, Espio began to write. When he was finished, he showed his reponse to the crocodile.

 _"Do not burn them. I have attachment to EVERYTHING in this temple."_

"Fine... maybe we can use that cig box."

Vector rolled his eyes as he began to walk out of the room. As he did, he stepped on something causing it to crack.

"What in the hell?"

The large green reptile looked down to see that what he had stepped on was a photo. More specifically, it was a photo of Espio, alongside many other chameleons.

"Hey, hey Espio. Is that... yer family?" Vector asked him, lowering the picture. When he saw what the frame contained, he grabbed it and looked solemn.

"What's wrong?"

Espio had Vector grab the picture as he began to write. The crocodile looked down as the other reptile wrote down each letter.

 _"This... this is my family... I... I miss them..."_

"Hey, hey now... why dontcha tell me 'bout them? Is that yer mom right there?" Vector asked, pointing to a female chameleon with multiple horns on her forehead. She wore a pretty green dress.

"That makes the guy next to ya yer dad, right?"

Espio nodded, caressing the picture of the larger, gruffer looking reptile.

"Then these guys are yer siblin's... right?"

The fuchsia reptile nodded once again.

"Espio... I know yer tired of me askin', but... what really happened? Where's yer family?...

The chameleon looked down as he walked out of the room, holding the notebook and pen.

"Where are ya goin'?"

Vector followed behind Espio. He passed by the courtyard where Guntiver was murdered and entered into a garden.

...or, what FORMERLY looked like a garden. The flowers were withered and brown, crushed by heavy amounts of ash and soot.

In front of Vector, there was what clearly looked like seven holes in the ground lined up together. Espio was sitting on his legs in front of one of these holes.

"Espio... what is this?"

The emotionless chameleon simply looked down and wrote, handing the notepad to Vector. The crocodile's heart sunk when he read Espio's response.

 _"These are the graves of my family and your friends."_

"Espio... Are ya jokin'?" Vector couldn't believe it. Were Guntiver and the lighting guy... really buried here?

The chameleon simply continued to look at the makeshift graves in front of him, patting one of them with his hand. Grabbing the photo he had shown Vector, Espio walked over and showed the crocodile who was buried in which grave.

Something like this only sunk in Vector's heart. Here he was, rich and enjoying life, and here was Espio... burying his entire family... It almost made Vector want to drop everything and call his parents and tell them... anything. "I love you", "I miss you", or even, "I'm glad you're okay".

Espio tapped Vector's arm and brought him back to earth. Vector shook his head as Espio began to walk towards the temple. He followed him, knowing most likely that Espio was to get started on cooking the boar.

Grabbing a bucket of water from his room, Espio cut up the skin of the boar and took out the internal organs he knew he wasn't going to eat or knew would easily go bad. Vector helped the smaller reptile with getting the roast ready, putting books into the fire that the chameleon was ready to let go after persuasion.

As they let the boar cook on the metal pipe, the two watched the fire cackle and the meat cook. Since there was still time to kill, Vector looked over at the chameleon around the time Espio wrote down that it was almost ready.

"Say, Espio... how d'ya survive each day?"

Espio brought up his finger to his chin, taking the pen and writing down his answer. He passed over the notebook when he was done, which read: _"I hunt for meat and look for fruit in the day, sleep at night. And I try to get people off the island. That's it. After all, since everything around you is clearly damaged, the only thing I can do is... survive..."_

"And can't ya just... leave?"

Espio shook his head and brought over the notebook back to him. He began to write his answer once again, passing it back to the crocodile when he was done.

 _"I can't. All exits are blocked, and too high even for me. I've tried many times to escape... but cannot. That's why... I've accepted my fate and know that I will die here... along with"_

"A-along with who?"

Espio shook his head. It was clear he didn't want to say who or what. He went back to rotating the pipe, letting the boar cook all over.

As Vector stared at the chameleon, it felt like something within him was stabbing him...

"What's this feeling?" He murmured.

He realized what it was. It wasn't some kind of feeling that came and went, it wasn't a feeling he felt ever since he started treasure hunting...

Sympathy.

All of a sudden, Vector felt pure sympathy for the chameleon. This young man... accepting his doom in a kingdom where no one could hear him scream or cry or be angry, living off a limited food and water supply he knew would run out one day. He knew the chameleon didn't have some kind a phone to call for help, and with this attitude of being silent... he knew something happened that twisted his mind.

Vector thought back to the Scarab Jewel Ring, the reason he wanted to get close to the reptile.

"Is that thing even worth it now?..."

He thought about the picture Espio showed Vector of him and his family. He'd looked happier, healthier, with clothes that weren't torn up and scratches and scars over him. How he would have loved to meet that Espio...

Espio sighed as he sat back down, hands in his lap.

Vector didn't think about what he did in that moment. He stood up, sat behind Espio and hugged him from behind. The chameleon was taken off guard, trying to break free from the crocodile's grip.

"Espio... I dunno what really happened to ya out there, but I can only think 'bout how awful it was. I... I wanna understand ya. I get ya dun wanna talk, and that's fine. I don't want ya to think that I think of ya as some savage, 'cause I don't. I think you're someone who's forgotten by everyone else. But I won't let ya be forgotten. I wanna learn 'bout ya..."

Vector stared down at the chameleon, looking at the back of his head. He could hear the scratching of pen on paper, then showed Vector his answer.

 _"Then please... spend time with me... I hate being lonely... I want a friend again..."_

"…ya got it..."

Vector felt a smile grow, his heart felt warm, and within him, a feel-good sensation he normally experienced whenever he got paid well from selling treasure overflowed.

But this time, it was a different kind of treasure.

Espio got up and pulled the boar away from the fire. He cut up one part of it, handing it to Vector. The crocodile grabbed it, and put it into his mouth, gobbling it down in one bite.

"It's... it's great..."

Espio, breaking away from his stoic face, softly smiled as he closed his eyes. From there, the two ate their meal together, not stopping until it was no more.


	8. A Bond with a Man from a Different Land

**(AN: Got home from work two hours ago, so it's time to begin a new chapter! And how ironic, we're starting the arc where Vector and Espio start to bond!**

 **I don't have much to report, so let's begin!)**

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Vector last had contact with Espio.

Since he had been busy with filming, the crocodile wondered how he could start becoming friendlier toward the chameleon. After all, the last few times he went to the kingdom, he was just trying to bug the reptile into answering him about what happened.

This time however, he thought he should maybe give back to Espio...

The first thing he decided to do was to bring Espio food that wasn't fruit and hunted animals. That was why the night before he decided he would visit the kingdom, he stocked up on chips for the long run, and decided to cook him up a home cooked meal.

However, home cooked was a stretch. It was actually just soup in a can, microwave rice, and some chicken fingers and fries.

 _"I swear,"_ Vector thought, putting the soup into his microwave. _"I get that I eat out for dinner or lunch cause' I'm loaded and though I'm in shape cause I work out a lot, I REALLY gotta start cookin' stuff that ain't breakfast. I swear, givin' this to him and saying I made it should be illegal or somethin'…"_

After finishing Espio's "homecooked" meal, the next plan perhaps was to maybe get Espio listening to music. He didn't know what the chameleon liked to listen to (or what he even liked period for that matter), but some of his favorite rock groups should do the trick. He also picked out songs he listened to while either working at his desk or working out.

Getting all the food ready, he placed it on the counter after remembering something his mother told him when he was younger;

 _"When you heat up food, Vector, NEVER place it in the fridge when it's still hot. It'll vinegrate, and congratulations, you'll have vinegar flavored food. I know vinegar flavored chips are delicious but let me tell you right now: vinegar flavored chickpeas are the LAST thing you want to eat."_

At least he remembered ONE thing about cooking...

Turning off the lights in the kitchen, Vector noticed the TV was still on in the living room. The late-night news was on, so he decided to watch at least a little bit before turning the TV off.

 _"...And in other news, television's hottest new show this season, Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest may be in potential hot water. Rumors around the entertainment board reveal that there may be a potential cover up by the show's network, Travel & Exploration, regarding some of the objects obtained on the show. Infinite Block, CEO and head of Travel & Exploration, denied an interview, sending out a statement today about the 'false rumors plaguing upon people', citing that the locations that the show visits are signed by contract by the local governments of these locations. As they are just rumors, it is best we take them as such, as it could just be entertainment gossip," _the news anchor on the TV said.

Vector knew he was right. It seemed like people were ganging up on Travel & Exploration, wanting to expose them for what they're doing.

Since the last time he thought about it, Vector finally realized what the problem was.

He didn't like Travel & Exploration anymore. He wanted to move his show to a different network. Unfortunately, he couldn't just pack up his bags and just leave. The crocodile knew that the show got the network money and ratings. As long as they got that, there was no reason to cancel the show and let Vector take the show to another network.

If anything, this whole ordeal was karma coming towards Infinite and the other executives of the network.

Vector grinned. Never since he begun treasure hunting did he feel not a satisfaction out of money (Despite how nice it was), it seemed he wanted to hunt for the thrill.

He turned off the TV and started to get ready for bed. As he got his night gown and grabbed his tooth brush, Vector began to think back to his scenario. The first case was with the network. Who knows? Maybe they would get tired of him complaining and boot him. Then he could devote himself to full time treasure hunting, instead of it being just a part time thing. The second however, was Espio. What did he do about him? The large green reptile didn't want him to rot in a kingdom all alone.

Vector opened his jaw, making sure to brush the back teeth too.

 _"I'll see what I can do with him. In the meantime, I just gotta wait fer mah next break... but fer now, I gotta get ready fer tomorrow,"_ he said through an open mouth.

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY**

It was the same story as the previous few times. Flying on Rotor's jet, being flown out from the cockpit, and falling from a parachute down to the Dragon Kingdom. At this point, it was almost routine.

"Ooh man, wait 'till Espio gets a bite out of this food. He's gonna love it! I... I mean sure, it's all just store-bought crap, but imagine how excited I had to be if I had to eat apples and boar fer like... who knows how long?!" He said.

Truth be told, Vector was actually excited to see Espio. After all, when you're estranged from him for so long, counting down the days until you got your free time, it was the only thing on your mind.

"Then I can't wait to mellow out with him to some tunes. Maybe I'll introduce him to Shadow and the Edgehogs, he might like that."

As he heard the sound of rushing water, he knew he was by the river that he had passed by with Espio. He could see purple crouching down near the edge of the water, and Vector knew he had his target.

"Hey Espio! It's yer fav pal!" Vector called out, running faster. He could see Espio holding up a stick with some fish on it, and a... brief smile flashing on the other's face.

"What's up man? Doin' some fishin'?"

Sure enough, in Espio's knapsack, he had the notebook and pen the crocodile gave him just before he left two weeks ago. The chameleon whipped it out, set down aside the stick of fish, and began to write.

 _"Yes. Just getting some food for dinner tonight."_

"Are ya? Aw, ya sure? I made ya a dinner!"

Espio tilted his head. It wasn't clear he didn't QUITE get what Vector meant.

"Lemme just get it out in ONE moment..."

Taking off his backpack, Vector opened it up to reveal a self-heating thermos and lunch box, containing all the things he got for him.

"And here, probably think yer tired of drinkin' water all the time, so I gotcha a soda too."

Getting it from the side of the backpack, he handed them to Espio. The chameleon was taken aback, clearly not expecting this.

"Hey, figured I could do somethin' fer ya since ya do a lot fer me when I'm here, like standin' mah annoyin' ass."

Espio softly smiled as he sat down, making sure to not burn himself with the food container on his lap. He opened up the lunch box' lid, seeing the fries, chicken fingers, and rice. He began to devour away, Vector noting that from the way the other reptile looked, it looked like he hadn't eaten stuff like this in a while.

After finishing up the contents of the lunch box, the fuchsia reptile put the lid back on as he opened up the thermos, drinking the soup from there. He quickly put the thermos down, biting his lip as Vector could tell he burned himself.

"Ha ha, ya better slow down, man! Maybe ya should take a drink?" He said. "Ya haven't opened it."

He could see that it was the case, and opened up the soda can, gulping it down.

"Whoa now, no one ain't gonna steal it! Besides, ya still got some soup left," Vector said. Espio looked at him, set the can down, and drank the rest of the soup in one gulp. He wiped his mouth with his arm, then drank the rest of the soda. He passed the lunch box and the thermos back to the crocodile.

"Ah ah ah, ya think that's all the food I got? Well, here's some... snacks!"

Finally getting the last thing from his bag, handed two large bags of chips to Espio. The chameleon was taken aback, clearly finding the gift thoughtful.

"So? Whaddya think?"

Espio began to write down his response, showing Vector his response. Vector read it as he jokingly noticed that some smudges of food were on the paper.

 _"It was really good. I haven't had food like that in a while."_

"Well I'm glad ya could enjoy it again. Hey, let's head back to yer place. That ain't the only thing I got for ya!"

Espio turned his head but picked up his stick with all the fish in it, and began to walk towards the temple, Vector following behind him.

* * *

"Ooh ooh! How 'bout this, man?" Vector said, playing another song on his phone. He began to sing along as he played an air guitar. Espio was amused, laughing as he clapped along. He began to write down in the notebook again.

 _"I like this one."_

In the past ten minutes, Vector had turned the inside of the temple into his own personal stage. He pretended Vector, the Treasure Hunter TV show host didn't exist, but Vector the rock star did instead.

"Whew! That was fun as hell," Vector wiped his forehead, sitting back down. Okay, I might have to stop fer now. I dun want mah battery to die."

Espio nodded, writing down his reply. He held up the notebook.

 _"I just remembered. Tonight, is a full moon. Would you like to see it with me?"_

"Oh, really? Yeah sure, let's go. Is that somethin' ya do a lot?"

Espio nodded, replying again. _"Yes. It lets me relax, and lets me recall my old memories of... my family..."_

"Oh... I didn't know ya used it fer that too... Are ya sure I wouldn't just interrupt yer grievin' period?"

Espio shook his head, once again writing, _"I don't necessarily grieve, but more so recall the memories of the past. It at least makes me feel good when I can recall stuff like that."_

"Well... okay then... Besides, we've been jammin' fer so long, maybe we do need a lil' bit of a break."

* * *

The two reptiles sat on top of a cliffside nearing the end of the murky river; one of the tallest peaks within the Dragon Kingdom. It is here that Espio was writing to Vector a story about his family.

 _"And so, my brother got married, and he had his first newborn. My mother was so pleased to finally call herself a grandmother. She was hysterical practically during the birth process and while holding her. And yes, I said birth process. While his wife was in labor and screaming her lungs out, my mother couldn't keep herself calm. She just WANTED to see her grandson."_

"Yer mom sounds like a really emotional person. Imagine what would happen if she found out ya guys are movin' to another part of the world or like, won the lottery," Vector said. Espio slightly chuckled in response before writing once again.

 _"Oh, how I wish we won the lottery. Actually, there was a time where she thought she won the lotttery. She was practically screaming all the way back home. The neighbors wouldn't let it go for about a month. Want to know why especially? That night, we sat around the radio, waited for the numbers calling, and they weren't what she thought. She threw the ticket into the furnace and said to never bring up what happened to anyone again. Of course, I just mentioned that she neighbors teased her so I guess that didn't quite work out."_

"Wow, Espio. Yer family sounds like some great ass people to hang with. Man... if only they were here..."

Espio wrote again, _"I wish so too. Sometimes I wonder if they're proud of what I do or how I live my life like I do now in the heavens above..."_

"Well... it all depends on what ya think. Some might think yer evil fer killin', others want to respect your decision of wantin' to be left alone."

Espio clearly took a minute to consider what Vector said, then wrote again.

 _"What about you? I killed two of your friends... why do you forgive me?"_

"I... I dunno. I mean, sure, ya shouldn't have done that, but it feels more like... like I'm botherin' ya bein' 'round ya. Cause it's like, I wanna know what happened here... eh, I'm not really answerin' yer question, am I? I mean... there should have been a better way to tackle it then killin' them, but maybe perhaps it was for the better... I wouldn't have known who ya were."

Espio simply looked at the crocodile.

"Espio... Imma be honest, since I'm yer friend. Where I live, I'm an explorer and a treasure hunter. I have my own television show, and... I'm rich. Very rich, in fact... the reason I came here was to find the Scarab Jewel Ring. And in fact... part of me still wants the treasure to sell it... I'm tellin' ya this because... Maybe ya could slice mah throat fer what I'm doin', but it's better that I fess up for what I did. Look at all the people who died tryin' to get it. I couldda been the next one. I bet there is a reason ya protect it, isn't it?"

Espio had no expression on his face, and simply wrote.

 _"That ring is special because it is the heirloom of my family. I protect it BECAUSE it's the sacred treasure of my family... if my family is dead, then the least I can do is to honor them by protecting what's ours. To me, that ring isn't something a price tag should be on."_

This only guilted Vector more. He bit his lip; thanks to his greediness and what the network demanded, two people were dead. And all of this because Espio made sure to protect the memento of his family with his life.

 _"...I'm glad however, you tell me the truth. Even for someone in your profession, you have honesty. I like that."_

"Espio..."

 _"…it is late. Let us return back home. Perhaps one day we can discuss this further. For now, I wish to go to bed."_

Vector yawned as soon as he wrote this. His eyes felt heavy as he looked at the shining moon ahead.

"...hey, got room fer another in this kingdom?"

Espio looked taken aback, writing quickly (but sloppy); _"Excuse me?"_

"Ya, let me sleep over fer the night. I'll leave by the mornin', I promise."

Espio's eyes moved to the side, looking back at the paper before writing, _"I... I suppose. Do you mind sleeping on a cold floor using a tattered and slightly charred blanket as your cover?"_

* * *

 **MEANWHILE, AT TRAVEL & EXPLORATION'S HQ**

The electric generators in the building were turned off one by one, lights going off as it was time to close up the HQ until the next morning.

Mr. Infinite was in the bathroom, washing his face before the lights and the water pumps were turned off for the night. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, only for Coconuts to come in during the middle.

"Oh, hello there, Mr. Infinite. Just doing some late-night admiring?" He asked.

"U-uh... of course!" The jackal replied. "But that's enough about me, how are you tonight?"

"Eh, good. Listen, we need a talk about the ML-3 Report-"

"Oh, that thing? Eh, I've been putting off that for a while now. Guess I can't avoid it now. But that's beside the point."

"Is something bothering you Mr. Infinite?"

"Well, to say for certain, yes. Something is... I'm getting that feeling in my chest..."

"What is it? Is it another annoying mass media fuckhead?"

"No no, not one of them. It's about Vector."

"Vector? What about him?"

"Do you notice he's become insistent about vacations? What in the heaven is he doing?"

"I dunno, his treasure hunting stuff?"

"No... I don't think it's about that... Here, let me call him."

Infinite brought out his cell phone, finding Vector's number and calling it. He brought it up to his ear, letting the phone ring.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Dragon Kingdom, Vector was fast asleep, holding the blanket close to him as his snout vibrated.

* * *

Infinite lowered the phone when he heard Vector's voice mail.

 _"Hi, this is Vector the Crocodile. If you found this phone number and you're a fan, feel free to leave a voicemail. But uh... try not to get too freaky... unless yer cute."_

"Mr. Infinite?"

"...he didn't reply. And he's usually up at this time."

"What does that say? Maybe he's tired."

"No... I know Vector. He wouldn't do this..."

Something in Infinite's head turned on. Something was gnawing him... he knew he had to ask him what was going on the next time he saw him.


	9. We're Not a Couple!

**(AN: Sorry for the delay of this chapter, should have gotten it out yesterday... but guess who was lazy!**

 **Anyway, welcome back to Treasure Trove! Where while Vector is having a great time bonding with Espio, it seems things might be getting a little hairy back home. Let's see how this'll turn out!)**

* * *

That Tuesday, there was a meeting between the executives and the crew of Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest in the conference room regarding a typical monthly show meeting. Everyone in the hot and stuffy room had just gotten done discussing about renewal of the series for Season 3.

"Okay so, now that we're wrapping up on the month, it's time we discuss profits," Mr. Infinite said, putting his hands on the table. "Uma, if you may please?"

The jackal motioned his hand at the female spider, who walked up to the front of the room and brought out a graph.

"As you can see, this contains our ratings for this month's episodes. This also includes ratings from streaming, as well as digital distribution. It seems like the second week was our least popular eh?..."

"Erm, Mr. Infinite, if I may?" Vector spoke up. "Remember, that was the Shamar episode. I got a lot of angry messages from people who claimed we really were robbing. If that's the case, heaven knows what'll happen when the Babylon Garden episode airs-"

"Oh, look at you, Vector. You used to say yes to anything. What happened my boy?" Mr. Infinite said, suddenly smiling. It however, was clearly not a sincere smile.

"E-excuse me?"

"Yes, you heard me. What happened. You've been a lot more skeptical about me for the past month, in fact, ever since the Dragon Kingdom failure you have. Are you doubting me that much? Oh, why Vector, I promised to not send you into danger again!"

Something about how Infinite said his last sentence bugged Vector. The black jackal was clearly mocking the crocodile.

"Sir, I don't appriciate what you're doing. I'm just suggestin'-"

"How about, Mr. Vector, I give you this: I want to talk to you alone after this meeting is over. Now, be quiet and listen!"

Shushed up once again... it was common during meetings.

Vector slouched back in his chair as Muttski put his hand on the reptile's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Vector. Mr. Infinite usually tells me to shut up daily."

The rest of the meeting was like a slug crawling on concrete. On and on, Infinite droned on about home media sales, money, sales, and more and more money.

At this point, Vector found himself zoning out, trying to force himself awake so the jackal CEO wouldn't call him out for sleeping during a meeting.

Finally, at long last, the meeting was over. The executives grabbed their files and briefcases and left the room, as did the rest of the crew. Vector however, stayed in his seat, waiting for whatever Mr. Infinite had to throw at him. The last person to leave the room was Tekno, who turned around at Vector, nodded her head, and closed the door.

"Now that we're finally alone, Vector... would you perhaps like to tell me what is going on?"

This startled Vector. Did he figure out about his visits to the Dragon Kingdom?

"W-whaddya mean, sir?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Vector! I may be a rich CEO, but a dimwit I am not! Where were you last Saturday night to where you didn't pick up your phone? Even when you know you pick up every call you get from me?"

Vector felt himself sweat. Last Saturday night... that was no doubt the night he slept over with Espio in the Dragon Kingdom. He remembered that he hadn't looked at his phone that night, so of course he missed the call.

"M-mah phone... it was dead..." The large green reptile mumbled out, grasping the desk with his fingers.

"It was dead? Hm, interesting. I thought you always kept it charged?"

"I just... forgot t-to, sir..."

"You sound nervous, is it maybe that you're... lying to me?"

"L-lyin'? Of course not! I'd tell ya the truth, sir!"

"Okay... you know, Vector, I've also been curious. Why are you so jittery about wanting days off? What are you doing on those days?"

"I... uh, I uh work on-"

"This wouldn't have to be about the Dragon Kingdom... does it? Maybe the ring you didn't get? I know your ego would be MIGHTYYY disappointed if you didn't get that ring."

The jackal was reading into the crocodile like an open book. What would he do though? He couldn't tell him to stop. After all, it was VECTOR'S free time...

"No, no! I got over it!"

"If you say so. Because... if you didn't, I think I'd tell you one thing and one thing only!"

"And what would that be, sir?"

"DON'T."

Mr. Infinite grabbed his portfolio, placed it into his briefcase, and left the room. The jackal turned off the lights just before he did, leaving Vector in darkness.

Darkness, on the contrary, was how Vector felt on the inside. How did Mr. Infinite seem to catch on so much about what the crocodile was doing? And why did he take it as... a threat?

It was too much for Vector. What he needed to do was to leave and get ready to head over to the editing room in hopes of it getting his mind off of everything.

* * *

 **THAT EVENING**

Vector returned home from a long day at the station. He had been helping with the editing process on the Babylon Garden episode, providing voice over narration, and other monotonous activities. He wanted to do nothing but get in bed and sleep.

...but he knew he couldn't. He needed to visit Espio again, as it was his tradition at this point.

It was however, too late to call Rotor, and Vector decided to post pone his visit until tomorrow morning, where he'd have to come by the station to finish up some narrations.

Putting down his stuff by the door of the front entrance, the crocodile didn't even bother making food or ordering out. He just went into the pantry, got out a bag of microwave popcorn, and put it in the microwave oven, and turned it on. For the next minute, Vector simply just stared tiredly at the microwave, watching and listening to the bag pop.

After it was finished, Vector got out a bowl, put his popcorn into it, and went over to his couch. He couldn't remember the last time he sat on it and just enjoyed time to himself.

There was something that was bugging him at this point. Not only was it Mr. Infinite that brought his mood down, but it was... Espio.

"What the heck is this feelin'?..." Vector mumbled, mindlessly putting popcorn into his mouth.

It was halfway through the bowl that the crocodile started to realize what this feeling was: he missed the chameleon.

Now, he wasn't like a long-lost friend, but considering that the green reptile wanted to know so much about the chameleon, but had such short amount of time to talk, it made every time he met him special. In fact, it was more than that too. Something ABOUT Espio just... got his attention.

"Ugh..." Vector said, getting a kernel out from his teeth. "I dun have time to think over stuff like this..."

All the crocodile hoped for in that moment was a chance to see the man he had a strange yet compelling friendship with...

* * *

 **THE NEXT MORNING**

"Any reason we're up at the ungodly hour of..." Rotor began before yawning. "...eight?"

"I wanna come by here before I gotta head back to the station later today. I just wanna visit him, that's all."

"You sure have been seeing him a lot, haven't you? It's almost like you're some kinda couple, no?"

This caught Vector off guard. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, you heard me. It's almost like you and this Espio are like... a couple or something with how much you guys see each other."

"Me and Espio aren't like- dude, ya got it all wrong!"

"Couldda fooled me. I mean, who visits the same guy over and over again? You're clearly attached to him."

"And that means I'm in love with him?"

"Maybe not in a romantic sense."

"Whaddya mean?"

"…I think I let my mouth speak before thinking. Besides, I don't wanna make you mad. The only reason I'm even here driving you right now was because you bought me coffee, a doughnut, and a breakfast sandwich."

As Rotor concentrated on flying, Vector couldn't help but think back to what the walrus just said.

"Me? In love with Espio? Oh this guy is crazy. Why would I wanna fall in love with him?... Like, first of all, how'd the dude know I'm into dudes? I mean, goin' both ways, sure it's a lil' easier to hide from show biz, but still! Second... just cause I like bein' around him doesn't mean I love him. Yeah... he's just a cool guy to be around... nothin' more..." Vector thought, quickly drinking the coffee he held in his shaking hand.

* * *

Thirteen minutes later, Vector was finally on ground in the Dragon Kingdom. He wondered if Espio was awake early this morning. Vector snapped his finger realizing this.

"If he ain't, I couldda bought him breakfast too... what a shame..."

Vector walked on the familiar paths of the kingdom's grass, the paths and roadways being all too familiar.

"Good mornin', Espio! It's me, Vector!" He called out, turning around to see if the chameleon was anywhere. "Ya know! The croc!"

Seeing the flowing stream, something about it called towards Vector. Deciding to follow it, Vector walked by it to see a glimpse of fuchsia in the distance.

"Hey, there ya are! Mornin' Espio!"

Vector ran up to the surprised chameleon, who held a harpoon in hand. The smaller reptile tried to look closer, and when he did, a smile appeared on him. Espio waved back in response.

"Good... whoa boy!" Vector said, almost tripping into the river. "...mornin', man! Whatcha up to?"

As the crocodile jumped across stream, he saw a bucket by Espio with some fish in it.

"Ah, catchin' some fish fer breakfast?"

The chameleon nodded. He fished around in his knapsack and got out the notebook and pen, beginning to write.

"Would you like to see how I hunt?"

"Oh man, I'd sure love to. Let's see ya catch some of them critters!"

Espio turned back to the river as he looked around in the stream, trying to find any fish he found big enough for a meal.

"Ooh, ooh, how 'bout that one right there. I think that's a bass, right?" Vector said, pointing at one green fish in the middle of a school of fish. The chameleon got on one knee, aimed his harpoon, and fired. The blade hit the fish right through it, and the school quickly swam away as Espio brought back the harpoon to him.

"Nice shot, man! Dude, ya gotta let me have a try at that. This seems fun!" Vector said, getting up. "I've only done regular fishin', and it's borin' as fuck. Hell, catchin' fish with a net seems more excitin'."

Espio handed the harpoon to Vector, who looked around in the river.

"This ain't fer me man, I ate breakfast already. But I'll be sure to get ya somethin' nice and juicy. Somethin' like..."

Vector took note of a silver like fish that seemed to glow in the morning sun despite being obscured by trees.

"...that one!"

Vector kneeled and aimed the harpoon. He fired but missed the target.

"I missed?! Oh, what a fuckin' rip off!" The crocodile complained as the fish swam away in fear. Espio shook his head and placed his hand on the harpoon. "What is it, Espio?"

The chameleon held up the notebook as he began to write, showing what he wrote to the crocodile.

"You were shaking a little bit when you were aiming. Doing this can severely throw off your shot. Here, watch how I do it again carefully. Then, I'll let you try."

Grabbing the harpoon, Espio demonstrated his method once again to Vector. Kneeling, aiming, then firing, he hit another fish then pulled it out from the water. Handing it to Vector once again, he did the same method, and having his eyes set on a red fish, fired.

"Nice! Gotcha!"

Espio smiled as Vector pulled the fish out from the water, writing in the notebook and showing it to him.

"I'll be glad to cook this for you."

"Awh, really? That's sweet of ya, Espio," The crocodile said, rubbing his hand behind his head and grinning. The chameleon couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

"And so, this was the second song I produced," Vector said, pressing play on his phone as a synthetic sound began to play. Espio sat nearby an open fire, cooking the fish he caught for breakfast. The fuchsia reptile listened away, flipping the fish with a stick.

"Hey now hey, we gonna be doin' it a lil' something like this. Yeah, my main man Knuckles knows what's up. Alright everyone: listen well and check this out..." The song began, the instrumental playing. Espio began to write down his thoughts on the song.

"It sounds very... synthetic. It doesn't sound natural."

Vector crawled over to see Espio's opinion. "Ya prefer more natural soundin' songs?"

The other nodded.

"I mean, I do get what ya mean. I just produce this stuff with mah friends though, so it ain't really much. Oh hey, isn't yer fish burnin'?"

Espio turned around to see black smoke coming from the wok. Clearly shaking, the chameleon quickly returned to the wok and flipped the fish.

"Well now if ya burnt it 'cause of me, I think I'd feel guilty!" Vector said.

After getting the fish to the sides of the wok, Espio returned to his notebook and began to write.

"It's not your fault. I should have paid more attention."

"Aw, don't ty to pin this on yerself-"

"Actually I will, and you can't stop me."

"Oh, now yer gettin' smart are we? And how did ya write that already? Did ya figure I was gonna say that?!"

"Yes."

"Yer an anomaly, Espio."

"Thank you."

Soon after, Espio ate his breakfast of fish. And though Vector was sufficient enough with the breakfast he ate this morning, he thought it was only fair if he ate the fish Espio made him.

"This is good stuff, man," The crocodile said, biting into the fish. "Ya really know how to cook. Who taught ya?"

"Mother. She always told us she expected every single one of her children to learn how to cook, as they shouldn't rely on others to make food for them all the time."

"That's really smart of yer mom. Honestly, I agree with her. Too many times ya see people who wanna like, expect their husband or wife to cook. It's bullcrap, why cant'cha do it yerself?"

Espio nodded his head in response.

Soon, breakfast was finished, and Espio put out the fire and brought the wok over to a rack with a few dishes on it. He grabbed the rack and was ready to head out of the temple.

"Hey, where ya goin' with that?" Vector asked. Espio put down the rack, and since he didn't have his notebook, he did a motion with his hands.

"Uh... putting yer hand into... a hole?"

Espio shook his head, grabbing a plate and putting it into the 'hole' he talked about.

"OHHHH... yer gonna wash yer plates?"

The chameleon nodded.

"Mind if I join ya?"

He nodded once again.

"Alright then, let's go!"

And, with that, the two went by the river, and washed the plates together, enjoying their time while also being playful with each other. This would soon end in the two splashing into the river itself.

"Man... today was fun as hell..." Vector said. "Anyway, I should get back. I'll see ya soon, alright?"

And, after getting out of the water, the crocodile shook himself and pressed the button for Rotor. Espio waved from the river as Vector laughed.


	10. The Conflicting Feelings Continue

**(AN: So yeah, this fic still exists.**

 **Sorry guys, I didn't abandon it. I just... got lazy, and had suddenly a LOT of shit to do and with work and all that, and my parents leaving for vacation and still not getting my procrastination problem any better... Blegh, again, I apologize.**

 **No worries, I'll try to get the next few chapters out on time. But anyway, welcome back to Treasure Trove. Now that we're in the double digits, things will only move forward from here. But is it good or bad?**

 **Time for you to find out!**

 **Oh and by the way, in the time I've been gone, thank you for the 1k views!)**

* * *

It was bath time for Espio.

Bath, however, was more of an understatement. Rather than bathing in the large marble bath back in the temple due to the plumbing being damaged, the chameleon took his baths in the river after getting water to drink or use for cooking.

It was yet again, another day that Vector visited the kingdom. He sat on a nearby log and watched Espio bath, his nude self-pouring a pail of water over himself as he let his scales soak. Normally, he wouldn't even look at the sight in front of him at the slightest. However, Espio wrote that he didn't particularly mind.

And so, pouring some of the shampoo Vector generously gave to the fuchsia reptile, he washed his scales as the water of the river flowed through his feet and legs.

By Vector lay his backpack, where a new pair of clothes that he had bought for the chameleon lay. After all, he didn't want Espio to walk around in tattered and dirty rags for clothes. And so, after finding clothes that would suit his ability to hunt, but also finer than anything he had, the crocodile knew he would give the other reptile a big surprise. But for now, all he did was cross his arms and wait for Espio to finish his bath.

"I swear... why do I keep lookin' at him? Ya think I wouldda looked away by now, but every time I look at him, it's like I can't stop starin'. I mean, he's just takin' a bath fer cryin' out loud!" Vector murmured under his breath, the unaware Espio gathering more water. He dumped water all over himself, his scales shining in the sunlight.

"Well... shit, I guess I can't lie. The dude really is lean as all hell... I think he's someone I'd like to run mah- oh, fer Chaos' sake, Vector! Were ya really gonna say that 'bout yer friend?!"

Something about the way Espio looked when exposed... maybe it was the way his body was cross between skinny and muscular. Maybe it was all the scars and even healed up wounds over his body, or...

"That cute tail..." Vector said, covering the front of his snout with his hand. He wouldn't lie... he wanted to at least feel it.

 _"...well, that certainly ain't weird in the SLIGHTEST,"_ The crocodile thought.

Finally, Espio finished up his bath. After being handed a towel from Vector, he dried himself off and was about to get his rugged-up clothes when the other stopped him.

"Hey, uh, Espio! Don't get those, man!"

Espio looked at him as if he wanted to say, "And what? Do I walk around naked then?"

"I gotta little surprise fer ya, turns out! Wait right here!"

Vector ran back to his backpack and pulled out the clothes he got.

"Yer gonna love these! Ta-daaaaa!"

He held out the clothes as Espio walked up to them, holding them and looking very mystified.

"They're fer ya! I figured ya were tired running around in those dumb ol' rags and thought, hey, why not getcha a new wardrobe? It's the best of the best, so make sure ya take good care of them! Go on, get changed! I wanna see ya in them!" Vector said, walking back to the log and sitting down. He was shaking with excitement, wanting to see how Espio would look.

The other simply nodded as he took off the towel and began to dress himself carefully. After two minutes, he had everything on. He had an orange shirt with a blue '9' in the corner, a pair of silk basketball shorts, and a new pair of red shoes and socks. Vector grinned as he saw Espio's new look.

 _"Man, he looks so cute in that... better not say that,"_ He thought., proceeding to say, "Lookin' great!"

Espio did his usual hand motion, pulling his fingers back towards him to signal that he wanted his notebook and pen to communicate. Vector found it by Espio's old clothes and handed it to him, sitting back down as he waited for the chameleon's reply. It took a while, and Vector could tell the other was writing a long response. Finally, Espio showed him what he wrote.

 _"Thank you so much for the new clothes, Vector. It means so much that you're willing to use your money to help out someone like me. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I love them, and it almost reminds me of what my brother would wear. I couldn't ask for any better wardrobe."_

Vector smiled hard seeing this, and gave the other a long, big hug. He didn't even care if he got a little too cozy, all the crocodile knew was that Espio deserved it.

* * *

"How ya been enjoyin' the chips, Espio?" Vector asked when the two returned to the temple. Espio covered his mouth, seeming like he was about to chuckle.

"What? What is it?"

Espio got out his notebook and pen, writing down his response. He silently giggled like a high school girl writing a love letter to her crush.

 _"I... I KIND OF already ate them all. Could I have more? Barbecue and Ketchup flavored chips are delicious," He wrote._

"Y-ya ate them all?! Didn't I tell ya to save some so ya wouldn't get hungry?!" Vector exclaimed. Espio rubbed his hand behind his head before writing once again.

 _"Heh heh... sorry. I just had a few chips and well... I just really liked it so much that I had some more. And then a few more after that. And then as soon as I opened it, the entire bag was gone. And though I knew I shouldn't have had more, I opened up the other bag. And just as I opened that one TOO, all of it was gone. I just really like chips."_

"Oh yeah, I betcha love chips. Next time I'll get ya those disgusting biscuits and gravy chips."

 _"Those exist? Can you bring those?"_

"I... fine... besides, I'll have ya know sour cream and onion are the best. Hell, I'll stock up my pantry full of 'em so ya can have as many as ya want before ya get sick of 'em."

Espio turned his head, confused. _"What do you mean?"_ He wrote.

"Oh, right. I haven't told ya. So, Espio, I know yer probably bored of bein' on this island, seein' the same stuff. And that's why I decided to do something fer ya, somethin' big! I wanted to invite ya over to mah place to stay!"

Espio's eyes widened before quickly scribbling down his response, his writing sloppier than it usually was. _"You really mean it? You want to bring me over?"_

"Well, yeah. Why not? Yer mah friend, and I should get ya to see new sights. Besides, yer gonna really like everything we do there. And maybe, just maybe, I can get yer confidence high enough so I can hear that voice of yers."

The chameleon set aside his notebook and walked up to Vector, hugging the large reptile. Vector was taken aback, but as soon as he saw that Espio wasn't letting go, he returned the hug. From what he just said about wanting to hear the other's voice, to the long hug consisting of him patting the fuchsia reptile's back, something was arising in Vector's gut. It was a feeling like he couldn't explain. Awkward? The long for wanting to be around Espio?

All he knew was that he didn't want the hug to let go...

...until the thunder came.

"What the?" Vector said. "Wait, was it supposed to rain?"

Espio quickly put the notebook back into his knapsack so it didn't get wet.

"Oh geez, and we ain't even anywhere near the temple! C'mon Espio, before we get rained out!"

The two reptiles quickly ran back to the temple, the first rain droplets falling down onto them. Vector cursed at himself mentally. He planned to return back home once they returned to the temple. Now he knew Rotor wouldn't fly in this kind of weather...

As the two ran back, Vector put his backpack over his head as the rain only picked up. Once the two reptiles finally made it at the stairs leading up to the temple, a very close lightning strike hit a tree. The sound of booming thunder rattled Vector's eardrums as they finally made it inside the temple, the heavy rain hitting the roof above. The cold wind howled into the temple, and Vector shivered.

"Hell, I knew I shouldn't have put on these shorts today... Hey, the place shouldn't flood should it?" Vector asked. Espio shook his head in response.

"Good... I don't wanna spend mah time getting buckets to dump out all the water so this place dun floods... Anyway, what should we even do? I can't go back in a storm like this. Guess I might as well overstay mah welcome then," Vector put his hands on his hips, huffing. Espio simply looked at the larger man in front of him and nodded, putting up a finger.

"Wait, where are ya goin'?"

He watched as the chameleon walked down the hall to the right, a part of the temple he had never been to. Vector wanted to follow behind to see what else the temple had hidden, but knew it was far more respectful to stay put.

After waiting around and watching the rain through the open 'door' of the temple, Espio finally came back with his hand balled up in a fist. It was clear to the crocodile that he was holding something.

"What the heck is that?"

Espio couldn't write, and so he motioned what he wanted Vector to do with his free hand.

"Ya want me to spread... somethin' out?" Espio shook his head.

"Ya want me to... flick mah hand?" He shook his head once again.

"Ya want me to... open mah hand?"

This time, Espio nodded.

"Well, okay."

Vector opened up his large hand, waiting for what kind of surprise Espio had in tow. The chameleon put something in his hand, a small, metallic object. Something also pricked his fingers.

The chameleon proceeded to close Vector's hand and shook it. Bringing out his notebook, he wrote, "You can open up your hand now."

Complying, Vector opened his hand to reveal... the Scarab Jewel Ring.

"Wh-what is this?! Espio, ya aren't really thinkin' 'bout?"

Espio nodded then wrote back again. _"I trust you, Vector. That's why I'm giving this ring to you."_

It was such a short reply, but... it was the only answer Vector knew he could have. Here it was finally: the ring that had killed two people and almost lost him his job.

And now that he had it, he didn't know what to do with it.

 _"I've spent all this time bein' close with Espio that I wanted to say 'Screw this ring!', but even then... my main intention was to get the ring and sell it. That's why I even started seein' Espio in the first place. But I can't do somethin' like this to him... This is his family's ring, his only memento. I... I can't do somethin' like that to him!"_ The large green reptile thought.

"It's... it's a really thoughtful gift, Espio. But... are ya sure ya really want get me this? I feel like I dun deserve it..."

Espio nodded. He went back to the notebook and wrote down, _"I told you, I trust you, Vector. I won't take no for an answer. It's yours."_

Vector didn't know what to do or what overcame him, but for the third time that day, the two reptiles shared yet another hug.

* * *

The two were on the floor in Espio's "room", napping while Vector waited for the storm to cool down. However, with the howling wind, lightning and thunder, and the heavy rain, the storm showed no sign of stopping.

The two shared a blanket, cold from the weather outside. Though water dripped on his head, he felt warm being next to the chameleon despite being a cold-blooded creature.

Espio simply napped away, unaware of what Vector was doing and what he thought.

And the only thing on the crocodile's mind was how much he enjoyed having Espio be his little spoon.

As he rolled over to look up at the ceiling, he simply felt the water drop straight on his forehead. It felt like water torture, but it reflected his confusing thoughts about the chameleon.

"So much has happened with me and this lil' guy over the past few months... I just dunno what to say or even THINK of him..."

Espio simply slept peacefully, not moving a muscle. It looked so cute to Vector.

"What's going on between us?..."

The large green reptile rolled over again, back away from the chameleon.

"And further more... does Espio know? And what does he think about me?..."


	11. Espio's Visit

**(AN: Well hi there! I'm not lazy this time, and I got out a rather long chapter this time!**

 **This was a chapter I was waiting to do for a while. I'm hoping to expand on more of Vector's house, and seeing that yes, he really IS the 1%.**

 **Not to mention, even bigger Vector and Espio bonding moments happens here. Will our combo of fluff continue? Let's see!)**

* * *

From balancing work, to the sudden onslaught of people wanting to take him out every night to go out, it was a complete miracle for Vector to find one night where he managed to visit the Dragon Kingdom.

In the time since his last visit, he could only imagine how hopeful Espio was to see him. After all, his last promise to him was to take the chameleon back home to visit for the weekend.

However, the night before he planned to bring the fuchsia reptile back home, he had a bout of internal conflict once he returned from an outing with some friends.

"I dunno why I'm still continuing to bother with Espio... he gave me what I wanted fer so long... And am I really gonna start convincin' mahself I'm in love with him?" Vector murmured to himself on the car ride back home. He took one hand off the wheel and put it on his forehead. "I thought I could just ignore this feeling but I-I just can't!"

He dug his fingers deep into his scaly skin. Now that he was thinking more about Espio, his conflciting feelings towards Espio only deepened. He wasn't sure what to believe at this point, his mind just gave him new ideas.

"Of all the people ya have to focus on, and think all this stuff about... why a mute chameleon from a land forgotten by society, who kills people who interrupt his peace and quiet, and is silent and cold until ya get to know him better...? Then ya find out he's a cool guy, funny, and so charmin', ya know if prompted, he could even be a good lover and someone to flirt with-"

Vector stopped himself there. Now he was relapsing back to his lovey dovey stage.

"I feel like a fuckin' school girl with a crush!"

It wasn't until he noticed flashing blue lights in his rearview mirror.

"Ah, for fucks sake."

* * *

Having been over the speed limit, Vector had to fork over cash to pay for a speeding ticket. Though it was mere chump change in his eyes, it only made him more frustrated at the night.

"Thank Chaos I'm home though..." Vector said once he finally pulled into the neighborhood. All he knew was that he was going to fall asleep, forget about what happened tonight, invite Espio over, and just enjoy the time he'll have at his house.

Pulling into his driveway, he couldn't help but relapse into a bit of déjà vu. Just a couple of months ago, he was in the same car, excited about the high pay over the statue he sold to that female koala. Now here he was, conflicted because he might have a crush. It was funny how the times changed...

Getting out of the car and locking it, Vector placed his hands on his hips.

"Geez, and imagine if the tabloids learn I have a crush on a guy... I'm sure they'll be havin' a field day with THAT one."

It wasn't uncommon to share that sentiment. The Solaris Chronicles thrives off of gay rumors, even if the person was straight. Vector knew that all too well, so many paparazzi came after a friend of his on a rival network due to those rumors.

But the last thing Vector wanted to think about was rumors and nagging from people who have nothing better to do than to make money from pictures of celebrities. And so, he went to the front porch and headed inside. Turning on the light to the living room, Vector walked past the counter in the kitchen and saw the Scarab Jewel Ring on it. He picked up the ring and put it on his right ring finger, admiring it for a bit.

"So long I wanted to sell this, but now I wanna keep it, just like Espio wanted me to. Ugh! Why can't I just sell this and forget 'bout him! Damn stupid feelin's..."

And so, he kept the ring on as he sat down at his dining table.

His laptop sat closed nearby, and so, to hopefully get his mind off of so much, he grabbed his reading glasses by the computer and opened up his laptop. After checking company emails, social media, and reminders, his eyes started to get heavy. And though he was forgetting about the situation with Espio, it only came back to him once he saw an article while browsing a news website.

 ** _"Potential leads in the strange cut off to the Dragon Kingdom?"_**

Vector froze up when he read that. Did... the person who wrote this article know he had even visited the kingdom?

He quickly shut the laptop, feeling like anybody would have known that was him once the secret let out. He didn't even bother reading the article, but he knew what to expect.

 _"Shit..."_ Vector thought. He could feel it in his tingling hands and arms; his anxiety about Espio was coming up once again. The crocodile knew that at this point, there was nothing he could do. If the internet had articles like that, then Vector knew that if he turned on the TV to pass the time, he'd see the same stuff.

And so, Vector decided to head to bed, ignoring the semi-panic attack he was about to have.

Just before he went and got changed, he walked into the bathroom in the second-floor hallway. Turning on the faucet, he splashed water on his face, looking at it once he was done and blinking several times.

Suddenly, his reflections twisted up and he swore it had a different expression then he had. This Vector had his eyes lowered half way and giving a kind of flirty look to the crocodile.

 _"Ya know, yeh can_ _resist_ _it all ya want, but ya can't deny that Espio is a treasure, and making him yer partner would be fantastic, right?"_ His reflection said.

"Argh! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" Vector yelled, grabbing his toothbrush and throwing it at the mirror. He opened his eyes and saw what he had done. While the mirror wasn't cracked, the toothbrush lay in the sink. The false reflection was gone, and Vector let out a sigh.

"I swear, I'm gonna end up killin' mahself the more I think 'bout this. And I'm the one bringin' him over! Ugh, I just hope I'll be able to ignore whatever this feelin' is."

Little did the crocodile know, he couldn't.

* * *

 **THE NEXT MORNING**

After getting into Rotor's jet, it was time to fly to the Dragon Kingdom.

"Okay, so where do you need me to land?" Rotor asked.

"There's a place around the southeast part of the kingdom where we landed when we filmed," Vector explained. "Land there."

"Well, you got it."

After the usual half an hour jet ride, the walrus decreased the throttle as he landed the jet.

"Wait here man," The crocodile said, the cockpit of the jet opening up. "I'll be back."

Vector jumped out from the jet and made his way into the kingdom. He looked around, wondering where Espio could be. The first place he knew where to go was to the temple. Since it was still early in the morning, the large green reptile knew that Espio might still be asleep.

Walking through the deep forests, he would have kept going if he only didn't notice something on the ground. It was a piece of paper. Crouching down to pick it up, he saw... something he couldn't make out. It was all dirty for being in the rain, to dirt, and other such things being on it, but what Vector could read was,

 _"This may be the greatest mass extinction in Mobius' history. The S or p Em i e will see full re nifc ti n"_

Everything else on the paper was completely illegible. He put it in his pocket, wanting to ask the chameleon later.

Just then, someone jumped down behind him. Vector screamed, turning around as he got into a stance. He saw that it was Espio, and put a hand on his chest.

"What are ya- awh god! I swear, ya nearly scared the crap outta me!" He said. "Anyway, mornin', Espio! Wanna know why I'm here?"

Espio looked around, nodding.

"Time to head to mah place! C'mon, mah friend's waitin' fer me!"

Vector headed back the way he went to the plane, the chameleon following behind him. Vector made idle conversation as the two made their way to the plane.

"I'm glad to see yeh've been wearin' the clothes I gotcha. Ya been likin' them?" He asked. Espio nodded.

"Dun worry, I decided to stock up on snacks a few nights ago, so I won't letcha go hungry. Besides, not like I'd even do that in the first place."

As the two reptiles finally reached the plane, Rotor sat up when he saw them.

"There you are, Vector. Come on, get him up and I'll start up the jet," He said. Vector got on top of the wing and lifted Espio up, holding his hand as he got him inside the cockpit. Once inside, the two sat down as Rotor closed the cockpit.

"Hey, ya ever rode in a plane, Espio?" Vector asked. Espio nodded, getting out his notebook and writing his response.

 _"We used to have a few planes around here. Unfortunately, there's no remnants of them here in the kingdom."_

 _"A few planes? Jeez, how could they just off and go like that?"_ Vector thought. _"And... what about this paper? The greatest mass extinction in Mobius' history? No... no, I shouldn't bother him. This is a break fer both of us, and grillin' him about doesn't help at all."_

* * *

As the three returned back to the military base, Rotor shut down the jet as the three jumped out.

"Alright, I'll see ya later, man. Thanks fer takin' us," Vector said. "C'mon Espio, let's go."

Espio waved to the walrus as he followed behind Vector, clutching his notebook to his chest. He only looked around.

Vector heard the scratching of a pen on paper, and a few seconds later, a notebook was in his face.

 _"I haven't seen a military base in a long while."_

"Really? Why?

 _"I don't want to say."_ Espio wrote.

"Are ya gonna properly talk to me about what happened?"

Espio's face fell, turning away from Vector. He only wrote one small reply.

 _"Maybe one day. Can we please just enjoy your home?"_

Vector sighed, nodding. "Fine."

The two reached Vector's car, getting inside of it. The crocodile was amazed, even though there WERE cars in the kingdom, he was surprised that Espio knew how to use one.

The chameleon could notice Vector's amazement, and smirked. He wrote down his new words.

 _"We had cars for a while. Sometime before... welll... uh, anyway, I actually got the chance to drive around in one, and even practice it. My mother didn't approve, as we lived in the old school traditions of our family."_

"Ya weren't very disciplined, were ya?"

 _"Heh, back then I wasn't."_

Vector took notice of the words he wrote. Back then... and his avoidance of what happened.

It only made Vector more confused, and it only intensified his curiosity.

But he couldn't focus on that right now. Getting out his keys, he started up the car, looked behind his shoulder, and went in reverse.

* * *

As Vector pulled into his neighborhood after the fifteen-minute drive, Espio was looking out the window. He had never seen anything like this before.

The chameleon immediately went to his notebook and began to write down his reply.

 _"What a rich neighborhood. Do you really live in a place like this?"_

"Hey, I told ya I'm loaded, didn't I?" Vector replied.

After turning to the next street, he passed through the different cars on the sides of the roads and finally ended up in front of his house. He drove up to the driveway and turned off the car, the bright sun shining down on the two.

"Well, welcome to your vacation home fer the next few days," Vector said, showing off the home to Espio. "Well? Lemme get yer stuff and I'll bring 'em inside."

Vector grabbed whatever little stuff Espio had as the chameleon followed the crocodile behind in the house. When he walked in, the chameleon's mouth stayed agape as he entered inside. The ceiling was high, beige and green walls surrounded him, with expensive looking furniture decorating the house. To his right was a sitting room, sofas on each side of the room with a table and a mini fountain in the middle. To his left was a dining room, expensive pieces of china were inside glass cases. It reminded him of the plates his mother used to own.

As he continued to admire Vector's home, he looked out to see a backyard with a pool and a cabana with a bench and a grill, as well as a bar. The view was complete with a shot of the river.

Turning around, Espio saw a large kitchen with necessities like microwaves, ovens, a triple fridge, and a large pantry.

Looking around to make sure that Vector wasn't around, Espio tiptoed to the pantry door and opened it up. He looked up at the shelves and found a bag of open tortilla chips. Jumping up, he grabbed the bag, and took a bite of one chip.

"So ya found the pantry?" The familiar voice boomed behind the chameleon. Espio yelped as he dropped the bag, some of the crisps spilling out of the bag and onto the floor.

"Don't worry, I wasn't kiddin' when I told ya I stocked up the pantry with all the chips. Of course, try not to eat 'em all. Yer gonna get fat like that. Anyway, I got yer things in the guest room. Were ya lookin' around? Did ya wanna take a tour of the whole house?"

Espio nodded.

* * *

With each floor of the house, Espio only got starrier eyes. Vector put his hand on his hip while the chameleon entered a large walk-in closet. The chameleon wrote quickly down in his notebook.

 _"This closet is so big. Why do you need a closet so big?"_ He wrote.

"Well, whenever mah guest room is full and I dun wanna share a bed. Heck, I could fit a billiards table in here, couldn't I? After all, I mentioned in the game room that I wanted to get one, but well... y'know... the room is too small..."

 _"You play pool?"_

"Sometimes at the bar. I wouldn't call mahself 'Go on TV and win thousands of dollars at tourneys' good, but I ain't too bad. Besides, I got mah own television show, so there's no real need fer me to do that."

 _"Ah, okay."_

Espio stopped writing as he found the pull-out shelf for Vector's clothes. Shirts, dress shirts, pants, and belts.

"Yeah, I found that online and use that as an extra shelf. Normally that's stuff like it dun fit me anymore, or like, I had to get fer like awards or like, business stuff. Y'know, just the usual."

Espio fished around in the shelves, seeing what kind of clothes Vector had. While browsing around shirts, he found a familiar looking one.

 _"WE PLAY '94"_

The chameleon turned his head as he saw the shirt, pulling it out.

"Oh, that shirt. That was actually fer a model shoot. They wanted me to wear skimpy ass clothin'. Ya know, sex sells and stuff. Why? Ya have an interest in it, Espio?" Vector asked.

He put the shirt down and got the notebook from the floor, writing in it.

 _"I actually used to have this shirt. Until it got burned."_

"Burned? Burned from what?"

Espio turned his head away. It surely had something to do with his home.

"Well, anyway, did ya want it? I dun even remember the last time I even wore that. Like I said, it was just fer a photo shoot."

Espio wrote again. _"Are you sure? You even gave me a new wardrobe too."_

"Hey, yer mah friend, Espio. Of course I will.

The chameleon smiled and hugged Vector, the other reptile patting his back.

 _"I swear, I can't get enough of your house. There's so many things in here, nothing that seems like you can ever get bored in it... pure luxury! I feel like this is a house I can live in. Can I see more?"_

"Well, I think we already saw most of the house. Why dun we start havin' fun?"

 _"What kind of fun?"_

* * *

Vector ran towards the pool in nothing more than swimming trunks, cannonballing into the pool as the water splashed onto Espio, who covered his eyes with his arms.

"Hey, c'mon, Espio! I let ya borrow some of mah old trunks, the water is great!" The crocodile said. He noticed the chameleon looked hesitant to follow his lead.

Since the chameleon didn't have his notebook with him, he didn't really know how to tell Vector that he never properly learned how to swim. He looked around, wondering how he could break the news to the crocodile.

"Can ya not swim?" Vector asked, as if he read his mind. Espio was surprised how he seemed to know. He shook his head.

"Aw, well, since I'm yer neighborhood croc, why dun I teach ya? I mean, I know a lot of the water in the kingdom is like, really dirty and probably poisonous. But still, ya never know when ya can use that ability. Okay, so like hmm... just get in real slowly, I'll catch ya.

Espio looked at the large pool, looking at the water. He didn't know just HOW deep the pool was. The fuchsia reptile crouched down, spreading out his right leg into the pool. He slowly dipped it in, feeling the water. While the water didn't scare him, he was still worried that Vector wouldn't grab him in time and would cause him to sink.

Reluctantly, he jumped into the pool just as Vector grabbed him, the crocodile holding onto the other tightly as the water moved up and down.

"See? Told ya I wouldn't just leave ya on yer own. Alright, so how's 'bout we start with basic swimmin'. As in, put yer head under the water and move yer hands and legs. Don't worry, I'll guide ya through it," The green reptile said. "Ya can hold onto the side, but make sure ya watch me, okay?"

Espio nodded as he bobbed to the corner of the pool, hanging onto it. He watched as Vector slithered his way to the other side of the pool, and then proceeded to start swimming. Doing the front crawl stroke, Espio watched as the crocodile rhythmically moved his arm up and down and how he paddled his legs.

Once he was done, Vector swam back to Espio.

"Ya did watch that, right? Alright, now yer gonna try. Don't worry, I'll hold onto ya fer the first time, but after ya got it down, I'll let ya do it on yer own. Got it?"

Espio nodded. Vector grabbed his hand, leading him to the end of the pool.

Even before they started their practice, something about holding Espio's hand made Vector feel a tingle in his stomach and his nerves. And to think he would actually be holding the chameleon himself...

Vector shook his head, making sure to not let anything get to his head.

"Okay, let's go!" He said. The crocodile held Espio by his stomach as he began to swim just like how he saw Vector do. He paddled his legs hard, breathing heavy as he gasped for air.

"Hey now, Espio! Don't use all yer energy! Yer legs will get heavy like that!" Vector said, moving along with the chameleon as they made their way to the other side.

While he continued to hold the fuchsia reptile, this only conflicted Vector. He could feel Espio's heartbeat on his hand, something about it only going faster making him feel warm despite being in a cold pool.

Finally, the two reached the other side. Espio took a deep breath as he rubbed his eyes.

"Ya did it, how d'ya feel?" Vector asked. The chameleon offered one thumbs up.

"Ready to do it again?"

A few more attempts were made, Espio getting more and more comfortable with being able to swim. Finally, Vector watched from the sidelines and sat on the hot concrete floor, wet tail bouncing up and down slightly as the chameleon swam by himself. He was impressed by how well the other reptile learned.

And yet... seeing Espio be like this...

 _"Ugh, no no no! Why can't I stop with this nonsense?!"_ He thought.

In his inner thoughts, he failed to realize Espio made it to the other side. He got up and walked over to where he was.

"Good job! Well, ya learned! And from the best too! C'mon, let's find something else fer us to do!"

Vector grabbed Espio up from the pool, the soaking chameleon shaking. As they made their way to their towels, the crocodile saw that they still held hands from when he brought up Espio from the pool.

Espio seemed to not have any kind of objections and didn't attempt to let go. Vector turned away, not wanting the moment to end.

* * *

After messing around with some of the various things that Vector owned like the games in his Game Room, exercising for a little bit in the Rec Room, and that evening, preparing dinner, the two sat on the crocodile's couch as they ate and watched TV. Espio quickly ate through his entire meal, patting his stomach in pure satisfaction. He grabbed the pen on the coffee table and wrote on the notebook that was originally next to the pen.

 _"That. Was. Delicious. I haven't had a meal so delicious in so long. I didn't know you could cook so good."_

"Hey, dun give me all the credit. I told ya, I sure as hell can't cook fer mah life. If anythin', it's yeh who can cook!" Vector replied.

 _"Oh no, I was just self-taught from the stuff in the kingdom and what little I can remember from mother. All the cookbooks are damaged, so I can't read them."_

"Aw, dun beat yerself up, Espio. Hey, didya want more brussel sprouts? I thought those were delicious. How did ya manage to make them taste so good?"

 _"Do you not think they're good?"_

"Not so much that, but so many people think they taste bad cause they add no flavor to it. Ya just know what to add to it. It's real delicious. I might have a lil more rice too..."

 _"Just help yourself to more. I think I'm satisfied to be honest."_

Vector nodded as he brought his plate to the kitchen, getting seconds. Normally, he didn't do this, but he couldn't help himself.

While he grabbed the last sausage, he couldn't help but admire Espio's cooking. He watched Espio looking at the late-night TV show from where he stood, laughing to himself.

 _"Oh Chaos, what a cute laugh..."_ He thought. He didn't even reprimand himself for that, even his inner thoughts couldn't help but admit it as well. _"Jeez, ya know... should I sit down and talk with Espio 'bout this?... Eh, maybe one day. Just as long as I dun forget."_

Vector went back to the chair, sat closer to Espio, and ate his seconds while the two watched TV.

* * *

It was time for bed.

Vector made his way to the bathroom on the second floor, brushing his teeth while Espio showered on the first-floor bathroom. He could only imagine how the chameleon felt about the bathroom, judging from how he seemed to fall into the very large bathtub.

While he was in the middle of flossing his teeth, Espio came up behind him.

"Oh, Espio! Ya done? Enjoy yer bath?" He asked. Espio nodded.

"Alright. Well, time fer bed. Follow me, I'll take ya to the guest bedroom."

Vector made his way to the guest room just a few floors down, showing him to the queen size bed, his stuff already on it. A fresh new pair of clothes waited for him on the bed.

"Alright, I'll be up a lil' late workin' on some work stuff. If ya need me, mah office is on the third floor. Yer welcome to help yerself to water or a midnight snack, but try not to go too crazy, okay? A'ight then, sleep tight, man!"

Vector left as he patted Espio's back, leaving him to head up the stairs.

* * *

What Vector didn't know was that the chameleon wanted to protest, not wanting to stay in the guest room, but rather, wanting to sleep with him because he felt safer than ever before.

He paced around his room for hours with the clothes Vector left, waiting until he knew the crocodile would soon be asleep. He quietly walked out of the guest room and made his way along the dark halls to the stairs, looking at all the pictures of Vector on his expeditions and one of him and his parents hanging on the wall. Expensive looking artifacts aligned on a shelf against the wall, the chameleon admiring each of them.

As he made his way to the third floor, Espio could see the glow of a TV in the distance and walked towards it. He slowly and quietly opened the door to see Vector sprawled out across his bed, a commercial playing on TV. He tip-toed across the room, his shadow blocking the light coming from the TV. At one point, he swore he felt like the crocodile would wake up and crouched down to the floor. After a minute, he got back up, making his way to Vector's side of the bed.

Praying that he wouldn't wake up, he got onto the bed slowly, lifting his legs and his body up as he scooted closer to Vector. At no point did he wake up, just snored and vibrated his muzzle. Taking an even greater risk, he draped the crocodile's arms over him, after finally seeing he didn't wake up.

In the most comfortable position he could settle on, Espio could feel himself doze off, the two reptiles sleeping together, as more late night commercials played, the advertisers insisting to Espio that his life could be changed so easily if he bought some inconsequential product. Though he ignored what the TV was trying to sell him, he focused on what they said over and over.

 _"Your life will change!"_

And for once, he was starting to believe things _could_ change, but he knew it wouldn't be the result of a product or object, but rather... another person.


	12. A Sudden and Dangerous Arrival

**(AN: Well, we're back with a new fic! Sorry, I wanted to take a little break, but well... now I'm back, so here we are!**

 **I won't lollygag, I think I'll leave you guys to read what happens! Tensions increase, and an impulse arises... it's time to see how this story will continue!)**

* * *

The next morning, Vector rolled slightly over in his bed as he felt the soreness in his body overwhelm him. He could feel crust in his eyes and didn't even want to open them. His arms and body aching, Vector knew it was time to get up regardless of whatever his body told him. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing a blurry image in his vision.

"Ugh... I'm so beat. Although... I swore I felt somethin' last night... Like, as if someone was grabbin' me. Was it? Nah... couldn't have been."

Just as the crocodile was about to get up, his nostrils suddenly picked up the scent of something...

It was food, as if it just came off from a stove.

Now Vector was curious. He was about to get up from his bed when something hit his leg. It was a stand of some kind. Rubbing his eyes, the crocodile could see breakfast on a stand. There was what seemed to be hash browns, bacon, eggs, buttered toast, a bowl of fruit, and even a pancake on the side. By a fresh hot cup of coffee was a note.

Taking it, Vector read it.

 _"I woke up early to make this for you. I figured you ate anything, so I'm making stuff I found in your fridge and your pantry. Consider this a thank you for everything you've done for me._

 _-Espio"_

Vector smiled. Even when his mind wanted to tell him to forget about Espio, the chameleon would do anything out of his way to be a sweetheart, and to spit on the mind of the crocodile for thinking such nonsense.

"Oh I so gotta thank him once I get down the stairs," Vector said, smacking his lips and rubbing his hands. He found a few packets of ketchup by him and got started pouring them on his hash browns.

* * *

After wiping his mouth with a napkin, Vector got out of bed and headed down the hall and the stairs, making his way to the kitchen to clean up. Before he got there, he heard the sound of the sink running.

"Guess there's no surprise who that is!" Vector said to himself. He entered the kitchen to see Espio washing the plates, a bottle of glass cleaner by him and a roll of paper tolls. The chameleon was clearly focused on what he was doing, not paying any mind to the fact that the large green reptile entered the room.

Vector slyly grinned as he placed the tray to the counter and slowly but quietly walked towards Espio, hugging him from behind.

"Good mornin', Esp. Thanks fer the breakfast, heh heh~" He said with a grin on his face. Espio made a quiet yelp, caught off guard by Vector. He looked up at the other reptile, smiling. Holding up a finger, he went over to the dining room table and picked up the notebook and pen he left there. Walking back to the crocodile, he began to write down what he wanted to say as Vector turned the sink off.

 _"I'm glad you liked it. I made it just for you."_

"Didn't ya have breakfast?"

Espio shook his head and went back to writing. _"No, but it wouldn't have been the first time I skipped breakfast."_

"Well, either way man, that was super thoughtful fer ya to do. Like, legit. I do all the stuff I do cause I want ya to have a better life. Ya dun need to repay me."

 _"Please Vector. I'm sure breakfast is the least I can do. If you think that's too much, I was planning to cook lunch. Perhaps cuisine from the Dragon Kingdom would be hearty for you?"_

Vector licked his lips. "Sounds delish. I'm down."

Espio smiled in response.

"Yer really warmin' up to me, ya know? Like, could ya imagine? Just 'bout a few months ago, yer chasin' me around a giant island ready to kill me with one of yer knives, and here ya are now: Yer cooking breakfast fer me."

 _"Well, as you said, getting to know someone really does change one's perception of people. You have helped me realize... not everyone in this world is bad."_

"Oh? Did ya believe that always? Or... was that after whatever happened in the kingdom?"

 _"The latter."_

"I see..."

Vector looked down at his feet, kicking the ground.

"Ya know... Espio..." He began. The crocodile wanted to stop what he was saying. It was something that had been building up for a while, and to think that he was going to say it now!...

 _"What's wrong?"_

...well, now that he said it, there was no going back. Vector took a deep breath, and looked Espio in the eyes.

"I've been thinkin' fer a few days... and I... I dun expect ya to agree with me. But I..."

Vector shook his head. What was he doing?...

His body told him however, what he was doing: The right thing.

"I think ya had enough of yer shitty life in the Dragon Kingdom. And I... I think ya should come live with me!"

Espio's eyes widened slightly, unable to comprehend such a thing.

"I know, I know! It's a stupid thing to ask but... god damn it! I've had enough of it bein' a thought! The idea of leavin' ya alone in a kingdom is dumb as shit but... I told ya earlier! I want ya to have a better life! I want ya to be a healthy and lovin' person! I want ya to be smilin' and talkin' again! And... and I think the kingdom doesn't give ya that if ya continue to be alone!"

Vector's words sunk into Espio. He didn't know how to feel. Would he really abandon his family, what was left of his home, and most of all, his memories... to live with a man who has more than enough money that it felt like he could buy the moon?

As much as Espio didn't want to do it, the crocodile's offer was generous. So generous, that he wanted to drop down and worship the ground Vector stood on.

But something tore at him too.

A desire to say no.

 _"I'm... honored, Vector. Really, I am. However... I cannot. I have far too many memories attatched to the kingdom... I know it's not a proper place for me to live, but the idea of leaving my family behind, no proper burial... I feel their spirits will not be happy with me. Thank you so much, however... this is for the best. Maybe one day however, when I have heard the voices of the spirits... I can give my answer again."_

Vector felt upset seeing that. He knew WHY Espio didn't want to go, but still couldn't factor in the idea of him having to stay in such a rundown kingdom.

"We can do it together if we have to! Hell, I just wanna make things right and make yer life good. That's all I wanna ask, man. Please?"

Espio was about to write down his reply until he saw the notebook. He was on the back of the final page, with no more room. He showed the notebook to Vector, who began to chuckle.

"Aw man! Yer out of room! Who knew ya'd finally run outta room! Tell ya what, head on up to the second floor and enter the room by the Rec Room. There should be a storage room with some notebooks in there. Feel free to take one!"

The chameleon nodded as he made his way to the stairs. Vector sighed as he walked over to the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the pantry and filling it up with water from the fridge. He sat down in one of the dining room chairs, drinking it.

"What the heck is goin' on with Espio? He's so much calmer around me, and he's somewhat okay with the idea of me livin' with him... This makes no sense... Why would I even suggest fer him to even live here in the first place?"

Suddenly, there was a ring from the doorbell.

"Huh? Who's that? I wasn't expectin' any guests..." Vector muttered, setting his glass of water down and walking to the door. He peeped through the peephole and froze.

It was Mr. Infinite and the various executives of Travel & Exploration.

The crocodile took a step back. _"OH FUCK!"_ He thought. _"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE THEY DOIN' HERE?! AND... AND ESPIO'S STILL HERE!"_

A scare chord playing mentally in Vector's head, he quickly rushed up the stairs, pressing a button by the wall of the second floor which allowed him to speak through a speaker by the front door.

 _"Do-don't worry! I'll be out in a second!"_

Vector quickly ran to the storeroom, where Espio had come out.

"Espio! Espio! Thank god!" The crocodile breathed. "I need ya to listen to me, this is important. Get in that storeroom right NOW! Someone's here that I never expected to be here, and I dun think he'll take kindly if he finds out yer here. I'll explain once I give ya the all clear to come out, but fer now, don't ask questions! Just get in. I'll hopefully see ya in a few!"

Vector shoved Espio into the storeroom, shutting the door behind him. Quickly running back to the first floor, he took a deep breath, relaxed himself, ran a hand through his scales, made sure quickly there was no evidence of Espio being here, and opened the front door.

"Ah, Mr. Infinite! And everyone else! How ya doin' this afternoon?" He asked, looking at the stoic businessmen and women.

"Not too bad myself, Vector. May we please come in?" Mr. Infinite said.

"Sure sure, come on in everyone!"

Mr. Infinite stepped inside and wiped his feet, followed by Ixis, Geoffrey, Uma, and Coconuts. Vector forced a smile as he felt like his heart was going to burst out at any second.

 _"Jeez, this is scary!"_ He thought to himself, sweating more and more.

As Vector closed the door, Infinite stopped and smelled the air.

"You had breakfast recently, didn't you?"

"I-uh..." Vector had his arms against his body, looking to the side. "I did! Yeah!"

"Hmm... seems a little odd, knowing how you're someone who likes to sleep in. I'm surprised you were up earlier than you normally are."

"I just... did that today, Mr. Infinite!"

"I see. Well, come and sit down at your table, Vector. We all have come here to discuss the remaining episodes of Season 3. And not to mention, a possible start on Season 4. Uma has all the documents, so we can begin from there."

Ms. Uma pulled out her laptop and several documents from her briefcase and spread them out across the table. Vector took a seat and looked at each of them.

"As you can see, Vector, for the remaining few episodes, we decided to send you to different locations. The first episode we see here, is in regards to one filmed underwater in a sunken ship, believed to be during the Stormtop-Dragon Civil War over 100 years ago. It will be close to the Dragon Kingdom, so you may need to be wary of the killer there," She said.

 _"Espio..."_ Vector thought. _"They're talkin' 'bout Espio."_

As Uma continued to drill on, Infinite shifted in his seat a little. Looking up, he noticed a peculiar ring on Vector's ring finger. It was a scarab... with a jewel on it.

"Uma, hold that thought," The jackal said. "Vector... where did you get that ring?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me, Vector. WHERE did you get that ring?!"

Vector looked at his ring finger and froze. He had the Scarab Jewel Ring still on.

"I-uh... I-I didn't- I mean I can explain-"

"No need for explanation, Vector. I think you've shown me the truth. You... you have gone back to the Dragon Kingdom, haven't you?"

"I... yeah, I have... but it was fer the ring! A-And I got it!"

"How."

"How what?"

"How did you outsmart the... the savage that lived there?"

"Don't call him that," Vector said, not thinking about what he just said.

"What? What did you say?"

"I... uh... I said don't call him that!"

Something overcame Vector. A feeling of superiority? Or wanting to finally put Mr. Infinite in his place? Whatever the case, he didn't want it to end.

"You're acting like you KNOW this man personally. Is this what it's all about? Huh?!"

"First of all, I didn't outsmart him. I snuck past him. Second of all, yeah, he killed Guntiver and one of our camera guys, but... I got to meet him personally. He's not a bad guy."

"Not a bad guy? Not a bad guy?! Vector, did you develop stockholm syndrome?! This man... almost put this station into deep shit! And you're okay being FRIENDS with him?! For heavens sake, we TALKED about this, and you... you LIED to me!"

"Believe what ya wanna believe, how he's a savage and a killer, but ya CAN'T make me stop seein' him!"

"You don't know the type of dangers you put yourself in. Didn't you tell me that you never get attached to the places you get attached to? And NOW you're showing me that's not the case?!"

"Ya know, maybe I have become a bit more... how could I say... EMOTIONAL?"

"Let me tell you something right now, Vector. This whole visiting some savage has to stop. Maybe I can see that's why you've become very protest-y. You think this man changed your life when he HASN'T. So, I have a little bit of a message for you my little employer. He HASN'T! He hasn't, he hasn't, he hasn't! And if you know what's good for you, you'd cut any and all ties you've had with him and pretend he doesn't exist. After all, considering how alone he was, I'm sure that'd what he'd want to."

All the rest of the executives stood and followed Mr. Infinite out of the door, the jackal turning around and staring deep into Vector's eyes as he shut the door.

As he saw the silhouettes of the black suit wearing mobians, Vector yelled as he punched the wall, a nearby vase falling and crashing down the floor. The crocodile looked at the mess on the floor.

"Fucking hell."

* * *

After he cleaned up the mess, Vector went to the second floor and headed to the storeroom, opening the door. Espio exited out, taking a hand to his chest and sighing.

"Sorry 'bout that, man. Mah piece of shit boss came over, discusses episodes, and as ya might have heard, got into an argument 'bout ya. Ya shouldn't have heard me be so angry, man."

Espio, taking his new notebook, opened up the first page and began to write.

 _"It's not your fault."_

"Don't say it's yers. I'm here to protect ya, no matter what."

 _"I know that, but did you not hear that man's voice? He sounded threatening. Almost... almost like he wants to do something with the kingdom to persuade you to not going."_

"I know that yer worried, but I know that can't happen cause he'd get into deep shit. But... what do you think he'd do if he really did go through with that route?"

 _"...then, may you take us back to the kingdom? I think it's time... that I tell you the truth."_

Vector's heart flared up, a feeling of discomfort overcoming him once he read what Espio replied with.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE**

Mr. Infinite sent the fax to his destination, a request for a meeting with a certain individual next Thursday at 3 P.M. He sat at his desk, adjusting the reading glasses he had on and reread what he sent to make sure there were no errors.

The fax was sent across the country and through various other countries in Mobius. At long last, the fax finally reached the desk of the land of Stormtop's prime minister, Regina Ferrum.

"Mrs. Prime Minister, we have this fax sent from Mobotropolis," said her secretary. "It seems to be an urgent request for a meeting with a Mr... Infinite Block?"

"I see... Thank you. Please, leave it here."

The secretary left the fax on her desk and walked out of Regina's office. The Overlander woman read the fax.

 _"Good afternoon, Mrs. Ferrum. My name is Infinite Block, head of the Travel & Exploration television station in Mobotropolis. As you know, we discussed setting up the episode filmed in the Dragon Kingdom after my employer, Vector, wanted to film there. At first, we believed there was no life there, but now... I believe I have proof that there is one person still living on the island, and they're causing my employee to become distracted from what's making our station a success._

 _Knowing that you harbored hatred towards the kingdom, I look forward to a reply and see what we can do from there..._

 _-Infinite Block_

 _CEO, Travel & Exploration"_


	13. The Truth of the Dragon Kingdom

**(AN: This is the chapter I've been waiting so long to write. For lore related reasons and... for the future of Vector and Espio's relationship, this is what changes it all! I won't let you on some giant AN, here we go!)**

* * *

Calling up Rotor later that afternoon, the two reptiles sat in the back of the jet waiting for their return to the Dragon Kingdom.

Throughout the whole ride, so many thoughts went through Vector's head. Should he tell him about the note? What did Espio mean by "tell him the truth"? And finally, what was going to happen next?

With all these thoughts, a bigger pit in Vector's stomach grew. He felt like he was being watched by the Travel & Exploration higher ups, always feeling like he had to watch his back.

Vector shuddered, feeling uncomfortable.

Finally, the two returned to the kingdom, where Vector held Espio as they descended downwards. Surprisingly, Espio didn't scream, and stayed calm throughout.

Once they returned on land, the chameleon started making his way towards the temple. Vector worryingly followed him, fidgeting his fingers and looking around left and right. They finally arrived at their destination five minutes later, where Espio had Vector sit down while he got something.

He returned, holding the picture of his family. He placed the photo down, took out his notebook, and began.

 _"I think you're ready to hear the full thing."_

Vector nodded.

 _"Let us begin..."_

* * *

 _"Me being silent, living like a so called "savage"… I have not lived my life like this. Six months ago, I lived with my family here in this temple. You of course, have seen my family, Vector. Six months ago, the Dragon Kingdom was prosperous. There were modern developments like cars, airplanes, malls, pretty much like any modern civilization like your Mobotropolis. We were all happy with our way of life, even when we had these commodities, our family liked to preserve family tradition. And even with that, they didn't object to us having new things as the times were changing."_

 _"However... one country didn't agree with us. That was Stormtop. You see, long ago, Dragon and Stormtop were one unified country. This changed however, with Reginald Ferrum, a self-described imperialist who broke civil war between Dragon and Stormtop over one hundred years ago."_

"Hold on..." Vector interrupted. "Mah bosses said I was gonna be explorin' a ship from that civil war... Was that?"

 _"It is. Reginald was war hungry. He was tired of living under Dragon rule and wanted his nation to be under his. He gained support of the Xorda nation. And sure enough, Stormtop won the war. Our country split up into two and has been since. Reginald's ancestors have succeeded him as the ruler of Stormtop, their current leader being his great-great granddaughter, Regina. Ever since the Ferrum rule, the country has been war hungry and blood thirsty, always playing loud propaganda and not allowing anyone to leave. The Ferrums became ruthless dictators, but all the nations of the world didn't know that. They and the Xorda nation fooled everyone into thinking things are okay. Even when tourists come, they all act like things are okay. They only allow a few at a time, all for propaganda reasons."_

"So... what happened?"

Espio lowered his gaze, and looked back at the notebook. _"The Ferrums have always talked about a constant reunification between the two countries. Reginald always talked about how he wanted to rename the capital of Stormtop, Leung Kar, to "Reginald Ferrum City". And they wanted any and all ways to achieve this. However, for many years, the Ferrums did nothing. It was all baseless threats, and none of us were worried in the slightest. Until... that fateful night."_

Espio's handwriting became sloppier as he began to shake.

"Espio, I know it's hard. But ya gotta come clean..."

The chameleon, who had been breathing hard, took a deep breath and sighed.

 _"Okay... I still remember that night. I was woken up by my mother around eleven, who shook me and told me something was going on. My family and I walked out of the temple and we could see red in the distance. Along with hearing screaming and the sounds of gunshots, we were so confused and lost. We didn't know what was going on. We tried to call relatives, but none of them answered. One finally did... my uncle. He told us that men in blue suits had been marching down the streets, holding weapons of all kinds. He noted a symbol on their hats, a storm cloud. It was no doubt the soldiers of Stormtop. When we heard this, we realized that Regina had done what Stormtop had threatened for decades: she had sent her troops to commit mass genocide. Just then, we heard the creak of a door, and a gunshot as the line went silent. Someone picked up the phone and told us, **"This is the end of you Dragon hyenas"** and hung up."_

Espio sniffed as he turned the page.

 _"Mother was scared out of her mind. She could see that the flames were coming our way. Realizing we didn't have much time, she wanted to run. But... I knew I couldn't leave the temple to burn. I promised her I would defend it with my life. She argued, and finally, it culminated in me hiding in the underground mudroom while the rest of the family ran away. I told her to meet me back in the temple when this was all over. In that room, I heard so many gunshots, so many explosions, so many screams of men, women, and children. I could watch someone from the small, hidden window running away and then... being gunned down. I had to turn away when I saw that... But that wasn't all... I saw people coming into the temple, and I heard so many things... The crashing and tumbling of the bookshelves, destruction of furniture, and even the crackling of fire."_

 _"At one point, someone tried to enter the mudroom. I was terrified that I'd be found out and hid in the corner while covering my mouth as best as I could. I could hear the soldiers talking about whether it was worth going down there. Sure enough, they did. Once I heard them trying to burst down the door with their weapons, I hid beneath a shelf and tried to stay quiet as best as I could. Sure enough, they looked through EVERYTHING. Someone brought down an axe, destroying the closets and everything inside of them. A pair of feet stopped in front of me, and I knew if I did ANYTHING... I would die. Thankfully... they went away."_

Another sniff. _"I didn't know how long I lay there, curled up... begging for death. I didn't know what was going on, or where my family was. I just wanted to see mother's face after so long... It wasn't until the rise of the morning sun that I woke and crawled from my space. When I went up the stairs, I saw the temple... well, how you saw it. And then, when I went outside, I could see the charred remains of the forests. I saw the man who had been shot, still laying in his pool of blood. Everything that you saw in the Kingdom, all the destruction, the loneliness, and the feeling like the area had been abandoned... it had all been Stormtop's fault."_

 _"I began to panic. Everything I knew and loved... was gone. I didn't know why they took it... but the only thing that was on my mind was my family. I ran. Ran from all the dead bodies, from the destroyed buildings, ran from the smell of bloodshed. And then... I found them."_

Espio soon began to weep. _"...all dead."_

Vector's face fell. He could picture Espio clearly, the tears falling down from both the real Espio, and the Espio in his mind.

 _"I explored the kingdom and found all exits had been blocked off. And as high as I could get into the trees, it wasn't enough for me to escape. It was then I realized going through every part of the kingdom all day and night that I learned that I was the only remaining survivor. I found the bodies of all the soldiers, dead in a circle... a note in one of their pockets saying that it was a suicide pact to cover everything up. All alone, coming back to my family's dead bodies... I cried. I cried harder than the time I broke my arm, or the time that my father scared me at three, or the time I learned I was going to be accepted into a grand school."_

 _"I buried them all in the garden, tears straining my face as I held their cold, lifeless bodies. It was while burying them that I realized that this was my life now. I was born here, and now... meant to die here. My words had no meaning. The fear I felt overcame me, and that... that is why I live in the world of shadows. Never to speak or show emotion... only to send away those who disturb my eventual death. After all, how could I live... when I was deprived of the basics of life?"_

 _"On that night... the night I lost everything... I learned there was no such thing as God. On that night, I learned there was no such thing as humanity or second chances. On that night, I learned that the faces of my family, the faces of disfigured men, women, and children would never leave me, and haunt my every thought. On that night, I learned that I have no will to live, and that each sunrise and sunset, I would forever be alone... with no one... to save me."_

Espio finished off his story with one final sentence.

 _"And now you know the truth."_

* * *

Vector stood still, unable to feel... unable to speak words. He felt empty, almost like a hollow shell.

He wanted to cry, but no tears came.

 _"I know it may be hard to believe, Vector. But... this is the truth..."_ Espio wrote.

The crocodile stood up, turned around, and left the temple. The chameleon followed him behind, confused.

Vector, almost like a zombie, walked towards the pharmacy he went to early on in his visits. He went inside, passed by the trash on the floor, and walked up to the pharmacy counter. He pointed at the now decomposed bodies.

"Di-did ya know them?..." Vector weakly asked. Espio nodded.

 _"Yes. Khan and Kasumi... two employees of the pharmacy that many in the kingdom knew about... My mother was friends with Kasumi's mother. I found her body at her home about ten minutes away from here..."_

This only sank into Vector's stomach deeper. All these dead people, all the destruction... these were things Espio knew, and things he had to walk past every day without a second thought. When he thought about what was going on, he wanted to vomit.

Vector left the pharmacy, and once the two were outside, he tackled the chameleon into a deep hug.

"E-Espio..." He cried. "There's so many words I wanna tell ya. I'm sorry, I'm sorry this happened to ya, I'm sorry I flaunted mah rich lifestyle in front of you, who's known death and despair for months... It's all so horrible, Espio..."

Espio simply looked up at the crocodile.

"Ya made me realize... I have to protect ya. I know ya don't wanna come with me but PLEASE... I couldn't bear to let ya live here, where every day the stench of death gets worse... Please, Espio... come with me..."

The fuschia reptile looked down at the ground.

"That... was heartbreakin'… The thought that a genocide happened... It's so fucked up... It's fucked, fucked, fucked! WHY COULDN'T I SAVE YA BEFORE?!"

 _"Vector..."_ The other wrote. _"I know you feel powerless, but you alone could not have stopped this."_

"I can't stop this. But I can prevent ya from ever feelin' lonely again."

The large green reptile had no idea what he was talking about at this point. Why was he saying this? What was going on? Could it be that every last thought about Espio, and... his feelings... his feelings, of course! They were manifesting his words...

He wanted to hold Espio like that forever, but as he did, the cocoon in his stomach hatched and newly formed butterflies began to fly around. His every last thought about the chameleon, his every visit, it finally showed him the answer...

All this time, Vector only thought he was attracted to Espio, but in reality, he ACTUALLY was.

And it seemed that Espio had caught on too. In the midst of his hug, he grabbed his notebook, and wrote down one sentence that changed everything.

 _"Please, don't leave me all alone... I want to be with you."_

Vector read the message, and it only sunk deeper into his mind.

The chameleon went back to writing.

 _"The reason I am mute is because of the horrors I have seen. It brings me pain to even speak. However... you give me the strength to let me speak once again. It may be hard, but I feel like because of you, I can no longer stay in the shadows forever..."_

Vector felt funnier and funnier, almost wanting to turn away out of shyness.

And then, there was the sentence that finished any last words the two had.

 _"May I kiss you?"_

...and with that, the two reptiles finally sealed the deal, letting their true feelings out for the first time.


	14. Trying to Get Him Out

**(AN: Hey everyone. Don't worry, I haven't gone away anywhere. I spent a while on this chapter because... this is a point where the fic will take a 180. If things are getting tense... you haven't seen anything yet.**

 **Thanks for being patient everyone. And because of your patience, I can continue to deliver you these fics.**

 **And deliver to you this chapter...)**

* * *

The torches leading towards the office of Regina Ferrum lit up almost like magic. Fire crackled and lit up the dark room as Infinite (holding a briefcase), alongside many guards, walked to the office. His face was stoic, the light from the fire only making his expression more threatening.

Fountains then started up as Infinite passed by them. However, he wasn't in the mood for a light show.

Two more guards stood by the door of the office. Upon seeing Infinite, they turned around and opened the door.

Regina's office was now in clear view. Its expensive interior shined with its clean marble flooring and walls as the reflections of the jackal and her highness, Regina Ferrum and her secretary were clear to anyone in the room.

"Regina," Infinite said.

"Ah, Mr. Infinite. So good of you to come," Regina said, holding out her arms as if she was saying hello to an old friend. "Secretary, prepare us some drinks."

"Right away, ma'am," the Secretary nodded, her blonde hair whooshing as she walked to the exit to fetch drinks for the two.

"Come in, come in... sit down. I'm sure we have a LOT to talk about."

Infinite stepped inside as the doors shut behind him. He walked towards the table, pulling up a chair and sitting in front of the dictator.

"So, I did get your fax and I find what you say to be very... interesting," Regina began.

"Indeed. I almost expected you to not believe me," Infinite replied.

"Oh, Mr. Infinite... you're the man who wants to record your television shows near this land. But we're not here to talk about scenarios. It IS about your little television show after all. Namely one of your employees, right?"

Infinite nodded as he brought his briefcase onto the table. Opening it up, he brought out Vector's employee file.

"It's this man right here."

"Ah, this Vector the Crocodile, eh?" She said. "I've heard about him. The people in Mobotropolis really do like sitting in front of an idiot box watching someone steal treasure from other lands for an hour, don't they?"

"It makes the network money and it's what they want, why bother to complain?"

"If they must. But... surely this man isn't as company breaking as you think he is. For that matter, why are you getting a government involved?"

"I talked about it in my fax. You remember? The episode we filmed in the Dragon Kingdom."

"Ah yes, that. You believe there is life there?"

"And you don't believe it?"

"Look Mr. Infinite, I made sure the soldiers committed mass genocide to those fools. Even IF I had to cover it up as best as I could. All governments bought it up not only for that, but the bribes we put on them. Unfortunately, Dragon citizens who live in different parts of the world try to inform everyone else. I can't deal with them all... but perhaps one more Dragon fool wouldn't hurt. Well, tell me. Who is this person?"

"I can't tell you WHO, but what I can say is this. As you know, the episode planned to be filmed there was about a treasure called the Scarab Jewel Ring. Vector told me it was found in a temple around the southeast corner of the kingdom. You might be familiar with it as many other explorers tried to nab the ring for themselves, only to wash ashore on other parts of the world murdered. Can you think of anyone who fits that description?"

"Well, how would I know? I have the blood of nearly every Dragon citizen on my hands, I couldn't possibly remember each and every one of them. Although... now that you mention it, that ring sounds very familiar. Hm... but where have I heard of it?..."

The Secretary came into the room holding a tray with two wine glasses and a bottle of rosé.

"I have your drinks ma'am," she said, putting one glass by each of the two. She poured the wine into the glasses, and just as she did, Regina's eyes widened.

"I think I know it!" She exclaimed.

"Is something wrong, ma'am?" The Secretary said.

"No no, it's not you. It's our conversation with Mr. Infinite here. But no, listen, I think I know who you're talking about!"

"Who?" The jackal asked.

"I believe the ring you mentioned might be owned by the Shinobi line."

"The what? Shinobi? What the hell is this, some kind of ninja movie?"

"It sounds like it, but no, it's not a movie. They're one of the twelve historic families of the Stormtop and Dragon. That scarab was their family's symbol. Now, as for what this means, I can only infer with what you told me in your fax... that there really IS someone still in the kingdom. Judging from how it was about the ring, I can only infer one thing... they are the only remaining member of the Shinobi line and the sole survivor of the genocide. But how? How did they manage to survive such an event? I made sure everyone didn't survive by the end, even going to the kingdom during the process to make it more uninhabitable. How did he slip through the cracks?!"

"I know that you did, you fool. You've kept repeating the same points over and over. All I can say is, this is ruining the company, and I'm sure, will make your situation worse. Vector keeps getting distracted by him! I even believe... there might even be a possibility he was over at his home the other day. I don't have proof... but knowing this situation now..."

"This is problematic, isn't it?"

"Yes. Which is why I'm here today. Tell me; what do we do now? If he brings that savage here, it means time and money away from our company, and as I'm sure you know, a voice to out the things your government has done!"

"This is far more complex than I expected. Very well, how about this? We'll start off by playing a game with him."

"A game?"

"Fu fu fu... you'll know soon... In the meantime, all you can do is send threats to that crocodile. If he can just forget about him, then our problems might be solved... will they not?"

* * *

 _ **MEANWHILE**_

 _"This is Dave & Co Law Office..." _The bored voice on the line said. _"Your number one pick for immigration lawyers... how can we help you today?..."_

"Uh hi there. I wish to speak to a lawyer," Vector said, walking around his room.

 _"You are speaking to one..."_

"Oh... I didn't know they sounded as bored as yeh. I mean, yeh ARE the highest rated immigration-based law firm in the country... Eh, whatever, I ain't here to nitpick-"

 _"Trust me sir, my mom does it all the time..."_

"...anyway... I wish to request service."

 _"Alright then... for who is this case for?"_

"It's for a young man in the Dragon Kingdom. First name Espio, last name is unknown."

 _"Sir... by all due accounts, I'd like to help you, but you know the Dragon Kingdom has gone pure silent. Now, I'm not sure if this is a prank but if it is, I highly implore you hang up-"_

"Listen bub, I ain't makin' shit up, and if anythin', I WILL get mah fr- nah, I meant mah lover over here whether yeh like it or not!"

 _"O-Okay, okay sir! Please, calm down. I'm just a reasonably stressed lawyer like the rest of us. Now, you said this is a Mr. Espio, correct? Since this man does live in another part of the world, we will need to see the man himself in person before we can bring him up to the court. I'll ask you to bring everything and anything you have on him to my law firm perhaps... next Tuesday?"_

"Tuesday?! I can't do that! He needs to be off there now!"

 _"With all due respects sir, that's the earliest I can do."_

Vector sighed as he rubbed his temples. Curse having to call lawyers for ANYTHING...

"Ugh, fine..." The crocodile said, admitting defeat.

 _"Very well uh okay bye,"_ The man said quickly. No doubt, Vector's anger outburst evoked this reaction from the man on the other line. He hung up as the large green reptile groaned, flopping onto bed.

"Can that wimpy sounding guy even get Espio here with me?"

Although, it was the only way he could legally have the chameleon live with him. Hiring an immigration lawyer would take forever, and it would cost a lot, but he was patient. He knew this was for Espio's own good.

But then there was the case of Mr. Infinite, who seemed to know that Espio was staying over. What could he do? It didn't help that he had been talking about taking a secret out of country visit and wasn't letting anyone else sans the executives know where he was going. He was, strangely enough, also in high spirits too in the days leading up to his trip. Vector could only guess where he was going, but as long as it got him away, it was fine by him.

He rolled over, hand softly touching the pillow. Vector couldn't lie; he was anxious. He had no idea what to expect in the future. All he did know was that the pit in his stomach only grew and grew...

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY**

That morning, Vector made it right on time to Travel & Exploration's HQ, coffee in hand. He felt weirdly in a good mood today, hoping that there would be nothing that would ruin his morning.

He took back that comment as soon as he scanned his ID card into the main entrance and saw the executives standing by the elevators.

"Oh, yeh all," Vector said. "Where's Mr. Infinite?"

"Mr. Infinite is set to come back later this morning from his out of country visit. But perhaps we're not too concerned about the CEO. We're concerned about YOU, Vector," Ms. Uma said.

"We've been doing some thinking since our talk at your home, Vector," Ixis said. "Don't think we don't know about your special relationship, or the fact that we know that man was at your home."

Vector froze. His palms began to sweat as it felt like he was going to drop his coffee.

"W-what? What in the holy mother of ass are ya talkin' 'bout?!" He retorted.

"There's no fun euphemisms here, Vector," Geoffrey said. "We believe you're abandoning your work and your future career being around that man."

"What? Ya think I'm wastin' mah time bein' 'round him?!" Vector flailed his arms in anger. "Just cause I'm his friend doesn't mean shit!"

"It means shit when every second of every day you want to spend on that awful kingdom, talking with someone who was meant to die."

"How... how DARE YA SAY THAT YOU BASTARD!"

Now Vector was growling, his hands being balled into fists.

"Don't you think about touching us, Vector. If you do, wanna know what'll happen to your livelihood? The same livelihood you also threaten the more you hang around that man?" Coconuts taunted, holding Vector's contract and then taking out a lighter, turning it on.

"Ya wouldn't even dare..." Vector said.

"Oh, I would. You know what to do so my sweet, poor little hand doesn't move this lighter up and burn the whole thing do."

"Over one person?!"

"And what? What is that man to you anyway? Is he your boyfriend or something?!"

"I-…"

Vector stopped himself. Surely, he couldn't just tell.

"Face it, Vector. Accept the truth that you have to forget about that man and accept the reality that this is still your job, and that outside sources will NOT be tolerated. You WILL stay silent, otherwise you can say goodbye to your status as living as the 1%," Ixis said. Vector preferred anything if it meant being with Espio.

But, as his old ex always told him: Tell people what they want to hear.

"F-fine... I'll stop."

Coconuts put out the flame and placed the lighter back into his pocket.

"Good. I'm glad we've come to an agreement," He said. The executives walked off as Vector balled up his fists, shaking in anger.

"Hi there, Vector," An employee said, walking up to him. "I figured we could use some of this material for next week- Um... are you okay?"

"Leave me the hell alone, Mindy," The crocodile murmured, walking away. The fox turned her head.

"Jeez, what's his problem today?"

* * *

Vector punched one of the mirrors in the bathroom. Glass shards fell everywhere and stabbed into his hand, but he didn't care. The pain he felt meant nothing compared towards the anger he harbored towards those executives and mainly, Mr. Infinite.

"Damn them... damn them, damn them, damn them!"" Vector yelled, wanting to punch his fist into the mirror more and more. "How DARE they try to control me because it makes them money..."

In the ruins of the damaged mirror, Vector looked up and saw his broken reflection. The reflection, who he hadn't seen like this since before he and Espio began their relationship, spoke.

 _"You were like this too. You just cared about the money. And now you reprimand them for wanting money?"_ It said.

"I may be a huge ass hypocrite sayin' that but everything that has to do with Espio showed me not everything in life is money, livin' fancy and bein' narcissistic as hell... It's almost like... like when I started treasure hunting..."

 _"Continue to believe your hypocrisy. Face it: you exist to make this company money. Not to be your own free person."_

"Who the hell are ya, a literal ghost reflection, to tell me how the hell you control mah life!"

Vector, while still in pain, turned on the faucet, washed his bleeding hand under the cool water, and splashed himself with it. Looking up, the evil reflection was gone.

"God this hurts..." He muttered, holding his hand.

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY**

After wrapping up his hand after the incident yesterday, Vector had been wondering what he should do from here. After all, it wouldn't be long before Infinite would try something funny with Espio as a way to "forget about him".

"Bullshit. That ain't workin'!" Vector said. "I really need to call up Rotor quick and warn Espio!"

Finding his pager, the large green reptile was able to send a message to the walrus. Soon, it was time that he headed out. Grabbing his coat, he made his way to his car.

...only to find a sight.

The tires were slashed, and the front mirror was broken.

On the dashboard was a note that said one word: "NO".

"Who... who the FUCK did this?!" Vector fumed in anger. He examined each and every tire. All were slashed.

Next was the mirror and the note... No doubt, he knew who was responsible.

"Now... now they wanna stop me period! I said it before, I say it again! YA WON'T STOP ME!"

"Hey! Keep it down!" One of the neighbors yelled.

Vector wanted to tell them to go fuck themselves but wasn't in the mood to pick a fight. He went back inside, and paged Rotor once again.

"Rotor, it's Vector again. Hey listen... can ya pick me up at mah house? There's an emergency..."

* * *

"Wait, so you ACTUALLY believe that your executives are out to get you and your new boyfriend's blood?" Rotor asked as the jet took off from his street. Vector could watch as the neighbor who told him to keep it down looked like he was about to melt.

"Well, yeah. How else are they gonna threaten with burnin' mah contract, smash mah window, and slash mah tires? All while under mah nose?"

"Man, I hate to say it, but I think it might be time to start packing up and finding another network."

"I wish I could, Rotz! I REALLY wish I could! But it seems like I'm bound to Infinite's chains like a damn slave..."

"That's why you need to fight back. You need to announce your resignation from the company."

"And what? Have them mark me fer death because I practically destroyed the company by ending the thing that made them the most money?"

"And what? You're just defending them?!"

"I ain't! I just... it ain't as easy as blockin' someone on social media... Damn, those Travel & Exploration people are like the damn mafia..."

"Not all television networks are like that, but I can tell that one is built on corruption scandal on top of corruption scandal."

"Pff, tell me 'bout it. I think everyone there is either oblivious to the fact, or they dun wanna admit it to themselves."

"Well either way, Vector... I feel like something bad is going to happen with those guys... I dunno... it might just be my gut feeling, but I don't like how they're going to the extremes with this. I mean, how far could they possibly go?"

"Let's hope it's not far enough."

After the usual jet ride and usual cockpit eject, Vector found himself in the Dragon Kingdom once again. While he was nervous that anyone or anything could be here, his heart fluttered knowing that Espio would be here, and any and all anxieties he had would wash away.

It still was hard to believe that he had someone close to him that he could call, "his boyfriend". Espio went through so much awful stuff in the past few months in his life that he knew he was the best thing to ever come out of all the destruction and death.

But as he continued walking along the familiar paths, something ate him before. He recalled it, the note!

"And I remember Espio's story too, the Stormtop people bein' crazy and genocidal. And that note..."

Vector fished in his pockets but couldn't find it. He swore he recalled it.

"How did it go? Somethin' somethin'... greatest mass extinction or somethin'… Eh, I'm sure I'll remember it once I see him."

Sure enough, the crocodile found the chameleon sitting cross legged on the floor, wiping what appeared to be some kind of instrument. Espio smiled when he noticed Vector, ran up to him, and hugged him.

He really had to remember that he and the fuchsia reptile were affectionate...

Kissing and rubbing his forehead, Vector looked down. "Hey there, Esp. Just came by to make sure ya were okay. What's goin' down?"

He saw Espio run back quickly to get the notebook. Vector smiled, not used to seeing Espio this excited period. It warmed his heart knowing that although he knew the chameleon's trauma and pain wouldn't go away with a relationship, he could at least bring him a glimmer of hope and one more smile onto the world.

Espio came back with the notebook and wrote away. _"I found an instrument in my sister's room that the Stormtop people didn't destroy! It feels so special to know I at least have one remaining memento of her."_

"Wow, really? Could I see?"

The chameleon took the crocodile's hand as he led him over to the instrument. He could see it was some kind of wind instrument, but one he didn't recognize.

"What's that?" Vector asked.

 _"A horse shoe ocarina. My sister began playing around the time of... the incident. Perhaps I should learn to play this in her honor..."_

"Ya should, babe. Not only will I think yer gonna be good no matter what, but I like to think she's lookin' down on you from heaven and smilin'."

 _"As much as I'd love to believe so... you know how my feelings are about that. I don't think she's forever stuck in the sky, but... with me regardless of my knowledge of it."_

What he said was more beautiful than Vector could ever put it.

"Maybe I can try to find ya some tips online, or or... maybe I could enroll ya in a school back home!"

 _"I... No."_

"Huh? Why not?"

 _"While I'm very comfortable with you, Vector... I don't think I'm ready for the world outside of your home."_

"I... I see... Sorry."

 _"No need to apologize."_

There was a silence from the two until Espio wrote once again.

 _"You know, you said you were here to check on me. As if... something happened. Did it?"_

Vector bit his lip. He didn't want his problems to be Espio's.

…but it DID involve him no matter what.

And so, the crocodile recounted everything to the chameleon. Everything from the threat from the executives, the vandalized car, and the suspicion of being followed. Espio nodded through each word.

 _"This sounds severe. However, what does this mean for me?"_

"This is gonna sound a lil' crazy, Espio... but what if they're after yer blood too?"

 _"What do you mean?"_

"Like, if they try to get someone to kill you. What are you going to do about it?"

 _"Return the favor. I will not be taken advantage of or outsmarted."_

"B-But Espio!"

 _"Do not but me. I will be fine... my love. Is that how you are supposed to say it?"_

Vector snorted reading it. "Heh, yeah. It's a good start, man."

 _"This is my first relationship. Give me a break_ _…"_

"Ha ha, ooh I'll give ya a break! I think no one wants to give us a break, especially with that note I found."

While he wanted to shut his mouth, he finally got to the topic that had him the most intrigued.

 _"Pardon?"_

"Right, right! I was gonna mention! Before we had the talk about yer past, Espio, ya mentioned this was all done by Stormtop, right?"

Espio nodded.

"Well, it just so happens that before ya told me, I happened to come across a note. Now, it was really dirty and hard to read, with a lot of the letters missin. But, I think I came up with an idea for what it means. It mentioned something about 'the greatest extinction of all time', and how there was a name that was most definitely Stormtop. Yeah yeah! I remember now completely! It went like, "This is the greatest mass extinction in Mobius' history... then it was like really hard to read. Now that I think back, I know Stormtop was on there, but they mentioned somethin' 'bout a seein' somethin' full... It was cut off but it started with re."

 _"Then it must have been Stomtop's main desire to see full reunification."_

"But how can they do that when everyone here is DEAD?!"

 _"They don't want peace talks. Naturally, what comes after that?"_

"Reunification by force?"

Espio nodded.

"But... but how? They murder everyone here and they clean up and now it's theirs? Look at this place! The cleanup effort seems like it'll take years! And besides, what the hell are they gonna do with not just this place, the graves of yer family, but every single fucking body here!"

 _"_ _Cre_ _m_ _ate_ _them."_

"Whew boy, then I think this place might just be the next place for a filming site. I can imagine it now: Shitty ghost hunting show tries to prove the paranormal exist here, film dead bodies, and yet their little kid audience loves and defends them makin' terrible jokes 'bout it."

 _"Sounds like something like that happened in your world."_

"Kids will defend anything they love, that's what I've learned. Even mah show too."

 _"Well, I'll defend you. Both literally and figuratively."_

"Aw, yer such a sweetheart, even fer yer first relationship. See! Yer gettin' it now!"

Espio's scales turned a lighter shade of fuschia.

"I dun think I can stay 'round fer too long. I should be gettin' out of here, but I'm glad to see yer doin' okay. Just... dun die on me."

 _"Same here. I'd be torn if you were killed."_

"Touche."

Vector brought in Espio for a close cuddle, the chameleon feeling like nothing in the world could touch either one of them.

What they didn't notice was the man in the Stormtop hat, hiding in the trees with a camera.

* * *

 _"Is that you, Mr... err, Vector?"_

"Yeah, that's right. Hey listen, I wanna ask ya a favor. It's 'bout mah client."

 _"Are you perhaps cancelling-"_

"No no, I ain't. Listen, do ya happen to have a cell phone that can receive videos? I need to make a video to Mr. Espio 'bout what I'm doin'. He doesn't know yet that I'm callin' ya 'bout takin' him here."

 _"And why doesn't he?"_

"I uh... haven't bothered to tell him?"

There was silence on the other end of the line. Vector messed with his shirt collar.

 _"You are aware that's a dumb thing to do, right Mr. Vector?"_

The crocodile sighed. "Yeah, it is. Listen, it ain't 'bout that. Just... lemme send mah message to ya and send it to him."

 _"By all accounts, does he have a cell phone?"_

"Uhh..."

Now that he thought about it... did he? Espio mentioned he was allowed to have modern technology, and while there were cell phone towers in the kingdom, the chameleon made no mention of owning a cell phone. Not to mention, he was certain the region had a different network provider.

"I couldn't tell ya man."

 _"Then I can't do it unless..."_

"Ya deliver it in person?"

 _"Mr. Vector, I'm an immigration lawyer, not an explorer. I know about the rumors of that place, and it's not safe at all!"_

"Look, if ya do come across him, just yell Vector, and explain Vector is the reason yer here, okay? Then give him the message and leave. Do ya have anywhere to take a plane or a boat to?"

 _"Well, a friend of mine does own a helicopter... I suppose I could ask him. Although Mr. Vector... this little request will not come cheap."_

"I know, I know. Tell ya what, I'll pay ya triple of what I already owe ya. Do we make that a deal?"

 _"...fine. Just film your video and send it to me. Once I get it, I'll try to get there as fast as possible. Good night."_

"Night."

Vector hung up as he looked around in his bedroom, wondering where he should film. He figured that his office would be the best place to film his message. Getting out of the bedroom, he made his way to his office, sat down at his chair, put his phone on a stand, got his camera application ready, and cleared his throat.

Then, he hit play.

"Hey there, Espio. It's me, Vector. Ya know? Yer boyfriend. Heh heh, just a lil' humor there. Hey, listen... there's somethin' important I need ya to hear. So listen as hard as ya can, okay? I've been talking with the immigration lawyer ya see in front of yeh in regards to lettin' ya live here as a legal citizen. I know, I know what ya said about denyin' my request but... I realized with all the shit goin' down... I dun think the kingdom is safe for yeh anymore. Of course, things aren't safe with me either, but my bosses better get used to the fact that yer gonna be here. Of course, once yer here we'll just be like any couple. Heck, honestly I dun see why they have their panties in a twist. I spend mah free time with yeh, but that's cause yer never around to do... well anythin'!"

Vector paused.

"I'm gettin' off topic again, aren't I? Look, if anythin' does happen, just... please survive. Survive while me and the immigration lawyer and the government gets everythin' taken care of. And trust me, everythin' will be alright. If it isn't... well... at least we tried. At least I tried to take ya out of danger, but... but it won't happen. Because we're both gonna pull through with this, I know it. So Espio, I leave ya with these words. When the time comes, just act. Because before ya know it, we're both gonna be under the same roof."

The crocodile smiled.

"God I love ya so much, ya don't even know. Good night, and sweet dreams, lil' reptile..."

He ended the video there, turned around in his chair, and turned on his computer. Then, plugging in his phone to the computer, he sent the video to his desktop, found the email address of his immigration lawyer, and sent the video to him.

Five minutes later, Mr. Dave responded, telling him that he got the video and that he'll be looking for a date to come over to the kingdom.

The large green reptile grinned. His job here was done for now. Now all Dave had to do was deliver the message to Espio, come back, and let the others take care of official paperwork and having to help them with other documents.

Vector got up from his chair, in a happier mood than ever before. Leaving his office, he made his way to the bedroom, falling onto his bed and taking his small pillow. He pictured what it would be like if it were Espio he was holding onto instead of a pillow. He could picture Espio's soft and silent snores, his chest rising up and down.

 _"God, I can be a real sap sometimes,"_ Vector thought to himself. He rolled over, grabbed the remote from the nightstand, turned on the TV, and slowly fell asleep to the sounds of a police show.

* * *

Days passed by.

Days, turned into weeks, and finally, weeks turned into one month.

One month without a word from Dave.

This had only made Vector more nervous about his situation. On the one-month anniversary since their call, Vector had his cup of coffee, but still wondering when he was to get an answer from Dave.

"M-Maybe Dave just forgot to call me 'bout this and he's doin' everythin' else on the sideline. Y-Yeah... that's it!"

But no matter how many times Vector tried to convince himself that was the case, he knew it wasn't true, because Dave never answered his phone since.

And then, it happened.

One ring from his doorbell and the sound of a speeding car.

"Who the heck is here at this time?" Vector said to himself, putting down his mug of coffee and heading to the front door. He looked through the peephole to find... nothing. Only a yellow envelope sitting by the doormat.

"Should I even open this?"

Vector slowly opened the door, peeked his head out, looked side to side, and crouched down. He sniffed the package, making sure there was nothing like a bomb in it.

"Can't say I smell anythin'…" The crocodile mused. He began to feel around the package. "Nor feel anythin' either. What the heck is this?"

Bringing it inside, Vector went over to the counter and pulled out a pair of scissors. Cutting it opened, he prayed it wasn't some kind of letter bomb regardless of his check. Sure enough it wasn't. All that was in the package was a paper folded in two. Vector opened it, and when he did... there were three polaroid pictures in the paper.

Confused, Vector flipped them around...

And felt his heart stop.

On the pictures was a man, a blue nutria... with various slashes over his body, with one last fatal one on the neck.

"No... this can't be..."

Vector quickly ran to the laptop on his table, opening it up and quickly typing his password. He opened up an online browser and looked up Dave & Co. Law Office. Opening up the official website, he went to the about section.

 **"ABOUT DAVE NOVICÉ"**

Then, Vector saw his picture. A nerdy looking... blue... nutria...

"No... no..." The crocodile said, wanting to collapse. He selected Dave's name and did a search.

He looked at the photos of Dave online, and... the photos... of his death.

They were the same person.

Vector stepped back, crashing into his wall. He felt like passing out as everything became blurry and his body began to tingle. He didn't know what to do. Should he call the police?

"Y-yeah! I'm gonna-"

He stopped...

Would the police believe him that it was the executives that was involved? And for that matter... who's to say Infinite wouldn't bribe them?

"Damn them... damn them to HELL!" Vector crushed the polaroids with his fists, breathing heavily. It was then that he noticed a message written on the back.

 _"We warned you. Let's keep this our secret so no one can get hurt, okay?"_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Vector slammed his fist through the glass panels of the door to his backyard. "Those bastards! Is there no end to how far they can go?!"

The crocodile slumped to the ground, feeling defeated. He knew only one thing he could do:

Confront Infinite himself, and quit.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE**

Espio hid in the trees of the Dragon Kingdom, watching the Stormtop soldiers run around in circles.

"Head this way! Sol saw him pass through the trees!" One said as the others followed suite.

 _"Damn assassins..."_ The chameleon thought.

Despite running away from certain death, he knew he had to take them all out.

After all, remembering the message the strange lawyer gave him, Vector was waiting for him...

And he wasn't going to let him down.


	15. Qutting and Plotting

**(AN: Welcome back to Treasure Trove. We've finally reached upon the climax of the fic... Tensions rise high... Will Vector manage to get Espio out in time? Or will Infinite and Regina topple them both? Only one way to find out...)**

* * *

The next morning at around 10:30, Vector found himself in front of Travel & Exploration's conference room, folder containing all the pictures of the murdered Dave in his hand. He could hear Mr. Infinite giving a speech over something to the other executives. The crocodile wanted to open the door and give them a piece of their mind, but he wanted to listen in on their conversation.

"...how about if we raise his pay?" one voice said.

"Oh please. Would bribing him with more money really make him stay at this point? Look at the guy. It's clear that he's becoming more desperate," another voice said.

"Good point. We'll need to discuss this more," one final voice said. Judging from the tone, it most DEFINITELY belonged to Mr. Infinite.

Vector shook his head. _"What am I doing?!"_ he thought. _"Why am I just actin' like a child instead of goin' in there and demanding an answer?!"_

The large green reptile looked around. Nowhere around him did he see anyone, and he could see the security camera on the corner of the room. Not like it mattered, as the security guard couldn't get paid any more to care less.

Vector placed his hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and opened the door. The dark room ahead of him was in clear sight was all the executives were sitting in chairs, backs faced towards Vector and Mr. Infinite, the head honcho, in a stool.

"Okay, party's over," Vector said, turning on the lights. "Yeh all BETTER give me a good fuckin' reason for this!"

"Why the sudden outburst, Vector? Surely we-"

"Enough of your calm and innocent façade, Infinite! Ya wanna be calm? YA WANNA BE FUCKIN' CALM?! LOOK AT THIS SHIT!"

Vector slammed the folder on the desk, the pictures sliding out. Everyone in the room looked over at the pictures of the dead nutria.

"Okay? What purpose does this serve showing us?" Mr. Infinite began. "Why did you need to interrupt our meeting just to show us some... pictures of a dead person?"

"Because yer the ones responsible!"

The jackal looked around, chuckling.

"I'm responsible?"

"Who else is gonna kill mah immigration lawyer so I can't bring Espio here?!"

"Ah, so you admit it. Well, no use hiding this façade anymore, is there?"

The other executives stood up, faced Vector, and pulled out pistols. The crocodile gritted his teeth as they all pointed their guns at him, knowing one small error would cost him his life.

"It's a shame really. I neither confirm nor deny that I was responsible for that man's death. But what I will say is... what is your motive for this?" Mr. Infinite asked.

"Mah motive? Mah fuckin' motive is that I'm done! I'm fuckin' done!" Vector yelled.

"You're... done?"

"Quit the innocent act, ya fuckin' murderer! I quit! I QUIT!"

The jackal had a look of confusion on his face. "Oh, but Vector... didn't you know that quitting on the spot is the worst thing you can do?"

"What's that gotta do with anythin'?"

"It means that if you quit, you lose everything. Your show, your income, anything."

"And what makes you sure another network won't just pick me up?"

"Do you think networks like ours are so innocent? That they're nothing like us? Because if you think that's true, you're dead wrong. Surely ALL this time, you haven't thought of me as some greedy network CEO this whole time, have you?"

Mr. Infinite walked closer to Vector, the crocodile taking a step back to the door.

"Because, Vector... listen up. I have far more power then you ever will have in your LIFE. You signed away to my network, I OWN you now. There is no such thing as escape."

"Oh yeah? What about the pictures?"

"Who's to say I can't claim they're yours? You're the one who just BROUGHT them here. After all, the police would gladly buy the story of you showing pictures of a lawyer you killed."

"That's-!"

"And besides, there's no proof. But what I DO have proof of?"

Uma grabbed the promethium board remote and turned on the projector. Immediately, a picture of Vector and Espio cuddling together appeared on the screen.

"I have proof of your deeds, Vector. There's no need to hide them anymore. And now, you have a choice. Return the ring and forget than man's existence or leave forever and have this picture be leaked to the public. The choice is yours."

Vector was conflicted. This job was the way he could live his life to however he pleased, but...

Now, freedom was what he desired.

"Go ahead. Leak the fuckin' thing. I dun care," he said.

"What?!"

"Ya heard me. Leak the god damn thing! Prove that ya ain't scared to do it! I am FUCKIN' DONE!"

Vector took out his ID and threw it to the ground.

"Fuck yeh all, and most importantly Mr. Infinite, there's a SPECIAL place in hell fer ya..."

Infinite's eyes lowered as Vector exited the room, the executives putting down their guns.

"We should have shot him," Coconuts said.

"We have no reason to," Mr. Infinite said. "Vector may have quit, but we do not leave him. It's time we turn his life into hell and make him crawl back like a rat. Ixis, fetch me my laptop. It seems I must inform our good friend Regina about a private meeting with Mr. Vector..."

* * *

Vector sat in his car in the parking lot of Travel & Exploration, rubbing his eyes.

He... just did that. He quit.

Was it all over?

As much as he wanted to believe so, so much happened in the last few months that Vector knew there wasn't much he could say. Unfortunately, he left the pictures in their office, so he couldn't go back and get them.

"Damn, and that could be some great incriminatin' evidence," He said.

His source of income was now gone, and surely news of this would spread. It seemed like a terrible idea though, as he knew the locals would react negatively.

"Man, I can't keep thinkin' 'bout it. I gotta do somethin'… but what? Get Espio out? Well, there's the case of Infinite and his crew followin' me now. Maybe just wait till this all blows over? Eh, but I'm just askin' to get murdered in mah own home. Start findin' a new job?"

Vector started up his car, driving to a nearby gas station to get something to drink and take his mind off of things. Driving up to the station, he entered inside, grabbed a 99-cent cup, and made his way to where the coffee and tea was. He pushed on the button for lemon tea and let the hot drink pour out.

As he waited for his drink to fill up, the crocodile failed to realize a silver hedgehog was staring at him.

* * *

As Vector made his way home, he was getting an uneasy feeling about every single event so far today.

"Gawd, it's like I can't calm down ever!" He yelled, shaking his head. "I really feel like somethin' is gonna happen soon... jeez, I'm just askin' to live as a recluse actin' like this!"

At the same time he drove back home, Regina Ferrum sat in an unmarked plane, watching the skyline as the plane descended down to an airstrip.

"Ma'am, how do you plan to disguise yourself from the press?" her secretary asked. "Surely we didn't fly for nearly four hours just to meet with this Vector fool?"

"I have my ways, Elena. The airport has provided me with a specialized zone and transportation so I will not be noticed by the press. For the meantime, I have been suggested to wear a disguise... I'm not sure for whatever reason though. It looks silly."

The plane began to slow down as a voice played through the intercom.

"We have arrived in Mobotropolis. Mrs. Ferrum, we advise to put on your disguise right now while airport security take you to your designated location."

The overlander women lowered her gaze.

"Finally, Mr. Vector... I will meet you at last..."

* * *

The crocodile finally made it home, leaving his cup of tea in the car. He didn't care for drinking all of it, and so left it there.

Locking his car and heading inside, Vector slumped to the ground, staring at the ceiling.

"Jeez... what the hell am I supposed to do now? I suppose all the other stations might want me now... that is if I somehow hadn't lost mah popularity in a matter of minutes..."

The large green reptile got up from the ground and made his way to the TV, turning it on.

"...and in entertainment today, we have breaking news," the national newscaster said. "Vector Crocodile, hit TV star of 'Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest', has quit according to an official post made on the social media page of Travel & Exploration, the show's network. Infinite Block, CEO of Travel & Exploration, said today in a brief press conference, **_"We apologize for the departure of Mr. Vector, and the subsequent cancellation of his show. While it is sad that he parts ways, we do respect his decision to leave and pursue better things."_**

"Pff yeah, sure the fuck ya do," the crocodile said sarcastically.

"Since then, many other networks have begun talks regarding picking up the show for their own subsequent network."

"Ugh..." Now this only soured Vector's mood more. He didn't even want to do the show period anymore. What kind of joy would this even bring him?... Not to mention, he knew Mr. Infinite would fight tooth and nail to keep the show for home media and reruns, so why did others want him?

Just then, someone ringed the doorbell. Vector got up, worried as to who this person was. He quietly got up from the sofa and tiptoed to the door, looking through the peephole. The large green reptile could see an overlander woman with a long, red robe. She stood next to a Caucasian woman with blonde hair and a blue outfit and glasses.

"Who the heck is this?" Vector questioned, slowly opening the door. "Hullo?..."

"There's no need to hide. Is this the home of Mr. Vector the Crocodile?"

"...what's it to ya?"

"I wish to speak to him, if he doesn't mind."

Vector didn't know who this woman was, and so, he opened the door.

"First lady, ya gotta tell me, who in the hell are ya?"

"Ah, I'm glad you ask. My name is Regina Ferrum."

In the second the name in full was mentioned, Vector felt the blood drain from his face.

"Regina... Ferrum..."

This woman... this woman is the reason why Espio's parents, his friends, and everyone in the Dragon Kingdom was dead.

Vector quickly slammed the door shut, applying the various locks.

"Open this door right now, Mr. Vector!" she yelled.

"No way that I'm gonna open this door to a fuckin' murderer!" he yelled back.

"Oh, so it seems like you know the truth! I assume your little DRAGON KINGDOM FRIEND TOLD YOU?!"

Vector felt his breath hitch.

"I know a lot more about you then you know, Mr. Vector. I'm here to tell you to stop. You have NO idea what you are involving yourself in. This was something you NEVER were supposed to be involved with in the first place. If you value your life, and the life of your friend, STOP TRYING TO BRING HIM!"

"D'ya think I'm gonna listen to ya? A literal war criminal?!"

There was silence on the other end.

"War criminal I may be, I have something you don't. POWER. Face it, Mr. Vector... the more you continue this, the more you will fail to realize how powerful the people around you are. Mark my words, may your foolishness curse you!"

From the glass panel, Vector could watch Regina walk away as he breathed heavily.

"That... that was her... That's the bitch who wants to ruin Espio's life..."

Vector tried to feel for the wall, getting dizzy.

And then, another doorbell ring.

"Oh hell no, hell hell HELL no!" Vector yelled. "Go away! I just want ya to go away!"

Silence.

And then, a voice spoke.

"I think it'd be in your best intentions to open the door, Vector the Crocodile."

Vector opened his eyes. Who... was this person? And did he really mean that?

"Who are ya?"

"Someone who wishes to help you. Please, open the door."

Vector peeked through the peephole to see someone wearing a grey hoodie. The hood was scrunched up, so he couldn't make out a face. Hesitantly undoing all the locks, the crocodile opened the door, hands shaking.

"W-who are you?" Vector asked.

The man undid his hoodie, revealing a... silver hedgehog. Vector was confused and surprised at this.

"Hello, Mr. Vector. My name is Silver, and I've come here to help you."

Vector was silent. "Uh... help me?"

"No one sent me. I'm doing this out of my free will."

"Okay okay, first of all, how the fuck did ya figure out mah address, and second of all... is this a joke? Do ya get some kinda sick, twisted humor by pretendin' to be a savior?"

"Mr. Vector, with all due respects, I know about your issues with you and the one you call Espio."

Vector felt a jolt. "Wha? How the hell do ya know about him?"

"Lucky guess, if I had to put it," Silver smiled. "But that's not my main ability. ESP and telekinesis are."

"Ha... ha ha ha! I get it!" Vector laughed sarcastically. "Yer just tryin' to cheer me up cause I lost mah job. Listen buddy, those Travel & Exploration people can go suck mah dick fer all I care. And second of all... ESP? Telekinesis? Yer ACTUALLY tryin' to convince me they exist? Trying to make me feel better is one thing, but tryin' to act like a fool in front of me only gives me and I BET you second hand embarrassment."

Silver lowered his gaze, then, extended his arm forward. Vector took a step back as he saw one of his expensive pots glow and levitate into the air.

"W-what the?!" Vector exclaimed.

"No do you see my power? I don't flaunt them like a kindergartner at show and tell. I prove myself to you that I'm genuine."

"O-okay... fine, I believe ya. But what the fuck does this have to do with yeh? This is MAH problem, not yours!"

"If it's fine, may I come in?"

"If ya must. But don't expect me to be a fancy servant who gives ya drink and snack... they all quit anyway but whatever."

"I have no need, but thank you."

* * *

The two sat on the sofa, staring at each other.

"It is important I begin at the start. So, you met Mr. Espio during the filming of your television show?"

Vector nodded.

"I see. And since then, you went out and saw him?"

Another nod.

"Hmm... Mr. Vector, by all due respects, I have been watching you all day since you had left Travel & Exploration earlier this morning. It seems you have been the talk of many people lately. I wonder... what do you suppose happens next?"

"Well... I'll... I'll get shot up at home. I'll... I'll never see Espio again... and I failed to even get him here."

"You have no reason to believe such a thing will happen, Vector. That's why I'm here to help you."

"But why? Ya said this is of yer own free will?"

"The truth is, Mr. Infinite and I have some history together. I was once part of his network."

"Yeh were?"

"Yes. In one of his pretentious little ghost hunting shows when he didn't know what to do with the network. Everyone there hated it."

"That... that's what I presume anyway."

"They most likely do. They know about Infinite's corruption and his power but cannot even bother to leave."

"Like... an abusive relationship."

"This may be our time to topple Mr. Infinite and reveal now only what he's been doing, but to bring an even bigger change to the world. You can topple Regina's empire, and bring Espio here."

"And live happily ever after?"

"Well... that's what I hope anyway. Listen, if this is going to happen, then I need your cooperation."

"What's in it fer me?"

"Your plan is to get Espio here legally, right? I'll point you to the top immigration lawyer, now that Mr. Dave has..."

"Yeah..."

There was silence between the two.

"It's settled, man. I'll help ya."

"Thank you. I promise in no time we'll find a consulate for Espio. Plus, judging by your..." Silver squinted his eyes at the backyard door. "...hole in the door, I'm sure you need a moment to relax."

"Oh that? Heh, hell yeh. I dunno why but lately I've been hittin' mah fist into WAYYY too much glass. I swear I'll reduce mah fist to nothing but meat and blood if I kept that up. Thanks man."

"Pleasure. But first, we need to deal with the station."

"Yer right, let's not get off track. But how the hell are we gonna topple an empire like that? Corporations don't go away in one night. They hire new people."

"While that is true, we're here to topple Mr. Infinite from ever seeing the light. Here's what I'll do. I'll sneak into the building tonight and try to find whatever I can find as a clue to either alert you and Espio, or what we could use as incriminating evidence."

"What do I do?"

"In the meantime, try to find anyone who can take you to the kingdom and check up on Espio. From what I told from Regina's mind, she's not pleased that her assassins haven't killed Espio."

"Okay," Vector nodded. "Thank ya man... ya don't have to do this."

"Hey, I have as much of a grudge against Mr. Infinite as you do. Now, I'll start the plan tonight," Silver got up. "I'll get going now. And uh, don't leave your email or your phone number. I already know them. Your mind told me so."

Silver shot a grin as he left to the exit, Vector getting up and shutting the door behind him.

"Man, this day just gets weirder and weirder..."

* * *

 **THAT NIGHT**

Silver flew ahead of the Travel & Exploration building, making sure there were no cameras. Safely landing on the rooftop, he walked toward the exit and opened up the lock, entering inside. He slowly crept down the stairs to make sure nobody was around.

 _"The coast is clear..."_ Silver said to himself, running to the bottom and opening the door to the top floor of the building. He began to float in midair, trying to listen in carefully for Mr. Infinite.

"Good night, Mr. Leonard," he heard a woman say. "Don't stay up too late editing the footage."

"Eh, no worries. I just got the last 10 minutes to edit. Shouldn't be too hard."

Turning his head from where he heard the noise, Silver looked up to see the security camera on the corner of the wall. While it wasn't pointed at him, he knew he had to get past this somehow..."

Raising his arm to the camera, he used his ESP to turn the camera towards the wall, now not being able to spot him. He sighed and made his way towards the stairs.

"...what's the plan?" he heard a male voice say.

"I talked with Regina. We plan to destroy the kingdom once again," another voice said. Silver narrowed his eyes, he knew it was Infinite's voice.

"Killing him off, eh? But what about Vector?"

"Stall him. Take the ring, slash his tires, cut off any connections he has with people who take him to the kingdom. Anything just to stop him!"

"Can't we just kill them both?"

"While I'd love to take my hands and strange that man, unfortunately, I still have a company to run, and I won't let anyone take that from me."

Infinite shut his mouth as Silver could see him look up, moving his head away from the railing.

"...let us go. That's all we need to know. Besides, I get the feeling that someone... is watching us..."

"It's just your paranoia, Mr. Infinite."

The two left the stairwell as Silver opened the door back from where he entered.

"I have to tell Vector, and FAST..."


	16. The Night Before the Decisive Plan

**(AN: Here we are, at the second to last chapter of Treasure Trove. I want to thank everyone who has read this far, for about 2.1k views, and all the favs and reviews I've gotten so far. It really does help me a lot, and keeps me going!**

 **So, here we are. With time ticking on the clock, Vector only has a short amount of time to save Espio, and hopefully bring down Regina and Infinite. Will he succeed? Or will he fail? For in this exciting chapter, tension only rises as his situation only gets worse...)**

* * *

"Mr. Infinite?" Muttski asked as he walked up to Infinite on the way to the fourth floor. "What did you want me to-"

"Forget about it, Muttski. Just go on a break."

"Sir?"

The dog followed after the jackal, only for him to turn around.

"I said go on a break!"

Muttski yelped as he ran off to the other direction. Infinite reached the top of floor 4, making his way towards his office. He took out his ID and scanned it against the lock, allowing him in.

All day he had been waiting for a call from the Stormtop Empire's government officials about what Regina had planned, and they still haven't gotten to him.

What only made the jackal more frustrated was the prospect that he was being spied on. Last night, he swore he felt the aura of someone he knew as he discussed the plan...

The jackal sat down in his chair, looking at the framed picture of his estranged daughter.

"Imagine, if you were still close to me, dear Lieza... you'd probably tell me I was an idiot and throw water into my face. But to hell with you and your dead mother… And yet... I can never seem to let go no matter how much I want to curse you."

How funny, it was almost like he was trying to find humanity in himself...

But did that matter? Humanity or no humanity, he had earned the position of CEO, and nothing could come in his way.

And yet, Vector was challenging his authority.

"So it's time for him to pay… time to trample the ones who resist me... Just like that Silver freak, so long ago..."

Finally, his phone rang.

Infinite, for the first time in forever, had a smile on his face as he picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

 _"This is the secretary of Mrs. Regina Ferrum. Am I speaking to Mr. Infinite Block?"_

"You are, yes."

 _"Thank you. Mrs. Regina will speak to you on her private line. Please wait a moment while I transfer you over to her._

Elevator music played as the jackal waited for the empress to pick up.

Then he heard a click, and silence followed.

He broke it. "Regina."

 _"Ah, Mr. Infinite, glad to see you're still among the living."_

"How was your meeting with Vector?"

 _"If by 'meeting', you mean having him scream in your face that you're a murderer, and then threatening him… then yes, I say it went great."_

"Typical Vector. Don't worry, we'll show him... Have you placed the orders?"

 _"Yes. A personal supplier promised they should be here around late afternoon. Don't worry, my army was trained to learn how to drop bombs from the air. That should kill that little wretch for my part. And yours?"_

"I sent someone to spy on Vector throughout the day. That will give us an idea on what he should be doing. From there on, we destroy the kingdom at night, cut off any potential contacts he has, then force him to come back. If he doesn't... well, I suppose he'll be buried under the same ground as that chameleon, where the same worms will eat him too."

 _"Hu hu hu... yes indeed... and I can finally get rid of that foolish Dragon Kingdom, start everything over, and finally have my reunified nation... I'll be able to do what my father and grandfather couldn't do."_

"I'll be sure to come to the grand opening. In the meantime, when it arrived, get everything ready. Our plan will begin tonight at 9."

 _"Very well. Until then."_

Regina hung up as Infinite grabbed the framed picture of his daughter.

"Do you not see the colossal empire I've created? Poor foolish girl... you simply saw this as me being a monster, and speaking out against me only does you more harm. Well, so be it! I will defend my territory however I like, and no one can stop me!"

* * *

 **MEANWHILE**

 _"SAVE VECTOR'S TREASURE HUNT QUEST! IT'S MY FAVORITE PART OF THURSDAY #SAVEVTHQ"_

 _"lmao do these executives have a death wish? It's like they want their company to die from all their other shit shows #savevthq"_

 _"why do people wanna stan vector's treasure hunt quest? its just another show of an untalented hack trespassing foreign lands just for himself."_

 _"Okay, we need to have a talk about Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest. I know everyone for some ungodly reason loves this show, but you really need to know why this show does more harm than good [THREAD]"_

 _"look at these snowflakes complaining about vector's treasure hunt quest. I enjoyed the tears of triggered cucks! #SAD!"_

These, and many more were the reactions Vector read through in regards to the cancellation of his show. Some went from people being devastated to cussing him and the station out, others had either indifference or flat out glad that the show was cancelled. And others were... reactions such as the fifth one.

Either way, Vector didn't feel anything in regards to their responses. If anything, he was glad to be done with the show.

After scrolling through another post in the "savevthq" tag, he got a call from Silver.

"What the?" The crocodile questioned, picking up. "Hello?"

 _"Hey there, it's me, Silver."_

"Oh, Silvz. What's up?"

 _"Just on my way to your place. Listen, I have some really big, but most likely bad news."_

"Is this 'bout ya sneakin' into Travel & Exploration?"

 _"Yeah. Listen, I have to lay low so people don't see me hovering in the air. Can I get back to you later? I'm coming up to a busy interstate, and I DEFINITELY need to look inconspicuous here."_

"Of course, man. Just try and get here as fast as ya can."

 _"No problem."_

With that, Silver hung up, and Vector closed his laptop. He rubbed his eyes, only wondering where things would go from here. He knew the silver hedgehog had valuable information for him, but... how much of it was useful? And how much of it could be used to save Espio and get him out?

* * *

Just as Vector had finished up a call regarding a job that was outside of the show business, his doorbell rang. Snapping, he got up and made his way to the door. Opening it, he saw Silver.

"Hey man, come on in. I was just makin' a call," the crocodile said.

As Silver let himself in and Vector shut the door behind him, both failed to take notice of an unmarked white car pulling up to the curb of the large green reptile's house.

With the two of them on the couch, Vector shifted to face the silver hedgehog as he turned off the TV.

"Alright... so tell me, what did ya find?" the large green reptile asked.

"Well, toward the end of my time there, I came across Mr. Infinite talking with some guy in a stairwell. They... they plan to destroy the kingdom!"

Vector felt his blood turn cold. His palms were sweaty, and he had no idea how to process what he'd just learned.

"Y-ya... are ya jokin'?! Destroy the place?!"

"He mentioned a talk with Regina. Most likely, the two are collaborating on how to destroy the kingdom together."

"B-but, Espio!"

"It seems their desire is to kill him."

"Why... why the FUCK DO THEY WANNA DO THIS TO ME?!" Vector screamed, holding his head.

"Most likely to make you move on from Espio and to make you work for him."

"Didn't I tell him... I fuckin' quit?!"

"He doesn't believe so. He knows you'll come back because you need money."

"Well to hell with him! I ain't comin' back, and that is FINAL!"

"And I haven't gotten to what they said about you."

"W-what?!"

"They wish to stop you from reaching the kingdom, to prevent word leaking out that they plan to destroy it. They'll go to whatever lengths. Slashing your tires, cutting off connections with people who take you there..."

"Wait... Rotor! What about-"

"They would go even far enough, Vector. Yes, they would kill him."

Vector's lips felt dry. So many thoughts were going through his head.

 _"A_ _ll these people are endangered cause I quit... Rotor, Silver, Dave, even people like all mah crew. Hell, I bet even Muttski could be a target... But I couldn't just play along and give him the ring either… it was too valuable, and not in a financial sense. And... and he struck first, having our immigration lawyer murdered… Argh! That man... he's the true definition of mad..."_ he thought to himself.

"That's all I heard. Listen, Vector... I don't know when Infinite plans to do this, but... we need to bring back Espio, fast."

"B-but how?! I can't call up Rotor! I'm endangerin' his life if I do that!"

"Then perhaps you should let me take you there."

"What?"

"You do realize my ESP extends to more than levitating pottery, right? It can also levitate people. Let me use my power to take you to the kingdom, find Espio, and then I'll get both of you out.

"This plan seems too easy. I mean, how the hell are they gonna destroy the place?"

"That, I dunno. But what I can say is that we need to be extra careful. How about this: tonight, let's head out to the kingdom. Hopefully, if my theory is right, then they won't be there, and when it's time to bomb the kingdom, there's no one TO kill."

"I guess... but I'm still worried. What if we're too late and they kill him off? Then I would have to live with the guilt that I never got to say any last words to him..."

"Then talk to him."

"Ha ha, funny. As if I can communicate to people from miles away."

"No, talk to him like this."

Silver closed his eyes as his body glowed blue green. Something about it gave a weird satisfaction to Vector.

"Uh... ya okay man?"

When Silver opened his eyes, his pupils were entirely purple.

"Hold on, what the hell is this?!" Vector was freaked out at this point, and scooted away far from the hedgehog.

 ** _"Hello, Mr. Espio. My name is Silver, and you are currently speaking through my mind. I am channeling you through this to speak to your lover, Vector. I know you cannot speak, so please Vector, speak your words to Espio."_** Silver said, his voice having a robotic tone.

"Silver, what the fuck is this?!"

There was no response. The crocodile looked shocked. Was... he really talking to Espio right now?

...there was only one way to find out.

"E-Espio? Are ya there? Listen, I have this man here to help me for a really huge reason-" Vector began, telling the chameleon about everything regarding Mr. Infinite and Regina's plans. Espio, as usual, said no words.

"...so yeah. I know ya don't wanna leave the kingdom, but I refuse to let ya stay there. Me 'n Silver plan to head there to get ya, as the idea of ya dyin' by... jeez, chaos knows HOW... it's sickenin'."

There was silence through the static Silver.

"...listen, we're gonna get outta this. We're gonna get ya out of the kingdom, and take ya here. And... and I'll do anythin' to make life here perfect fer ya. At this point, I would do anythin' fer ya... it sounds desperate, sure but... the fact that monsterous people like Infinite and Regina wanna do this to yeh and where ya live... it's so awful. But... I know we're gonna live through this."

Vector smiled. "So please, I have so much faith in yeh that yer gonna be alive once we arrive there. And I know ya have faith in me to get ya out, even if ya wanna complain about havin' to leave home. Don't worry, I'll even make a room fer ya that's Dragon Kingdom themed!"

He coughed. "Okay, now I'm just stallin' fer time, aren't I? Just... believe in me."

More silence.

"I love ya so much... please don't let my efforts be in vain, Espio... Please be among the livin' once I arrive... I think I wouldn't let ya go if ya weren't..."

Becoming depressed at the thought of such a thing, Vector faced away from Silver. Part of him thought that Espio would say something, but as usual, he was silent.

"That's it, I guess... good luck."

Suddenly, Silver's head retracted back as his eyes were shut. He bowed his head then brought it up, opening his eyes to reveal that they were back to normal.

"What the hell was that?" Vector finally asked.

"Ah, this? My power doesn't end at levitating, you know. There's more to ESP then you know, Mr. Vector."

"Vector is just fine, man."

"Whatever. We must begin our plan. I will contact you after sundown, and we'll head from there. Be warned though, I don't see this being a very happy occurrence. So, do arm yourself if you must."

Vector nodded.

Meanwhile, the car by the curb took off and drove away, finishing up the recording of Vector and Silver's conversation through the bug by the window.

* * *

Vector didn't even want to make a big dinner that night. All he did was find himself making a protein drink, and gulping it down in one take. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"I'm so nervous 'bout tonight..."

The crocodile walked over to his backyard door and opened it, stepping out. He watched the red and purple sky, dark clouds surrounding the sun. Something about the color depressed him...

He walked over to his pool, sighing as he sat down, taking off his socks and shoes and dipping his feet into the pool.

"What am I gonna tell Espio? I'm sorry fer gettin' ya involved in this? I'm sorry that I'm the reason yer kingdom was destroyed beyond repair?" Vector mused, moving his toes around in the water.

With the sounds of the flowing water being the only thing audible to him, alongside the water in the river.

Vector wanted to stay there until Silver got him, but knew he couldn't be there all night. Getting up, he left his footwear by the pool and went back inside, turning off the pool's illumination, and all the other lights in the house. Taking his laptop to his bedroom, Vector decided to aimlessly browse online.

Around 8, the crocodile found himself engrossed in a news article site, reading away. That was, until a sudden sound pierced his ears.

A sound, he wouldn't forget.

It was the crash of a window.

"What the?" Vector whispered, shutting his laptop quickly. He looked around, trying to hear for any noise. He crept toward the door, listening close.

 _ **"Are you in Vector's house?"**_ a voice said.

 _"Yeah, right now we're trying to find the ring. Janto's currently cutting off networking cables to Vector's service provider so he can't get texts or calls, and right now… Rough and Tumble? Oh, taking his car and throwing it into the lake,"_ another voice said.

"My... car?!"

Vector peeked out the window to see a truck connecting his car via hook. But he didn't have time to spare!

Tiptoeing out, he could hear rumbling from downstairs.

 ** _"And is Vector home?"_**

 _"Most likely. The spy said that Silver and him should be leaving around 8. I say we delay that."_

 ** _"What about Silver? Did Ixis...?"_**

 _"I haven't gotten a word from him yet. We'll have to see."_

 _ **"Do you think we should set fire to Vector's place? Better to kill him off now."**_

 _"As fun as that sounds, we cause more despair letting him live. Damn, it's not here... Let me look upstairs."_

There were multiple footsteps coming up to the second floor. Vector knew he had no time. Looking around, he made his way to the Rec Room, shutting and locking the door behind him. He then made his way to his small equipment room, shutting the door as well. Locking it, he looked at his phone and found that he had no reception. Whoever this Janto was... they really did cut off his reception.

Vector lay in the room, curling up. He couldn't deny it: he was scared to die.

Then, a voice from down the hall minutes later.

"I found it!" they yelled. Vector knew it; they'd found the ring.

"Let's get out of here!"

Footsteps went down the hall and into the stairs as Vector exited the room, seeing that the door wasn't busted down. He left the hall and found... the hallway was trashed. Bed sheets, furniture, knickknacks, everything was thrown across the floor.

Vector walked across everything, making sure not to hurt himself on broken glass or wood.

Making his way down to the ground floor, his living room looked even worse as he could see cars driving away. Sure enough, his car was gone from his driveway, likely sitting at the bottom of the lake.

Vector felt his legs turn into jelly as he collapsed. He... didn't know what to do or where to go from here. With no way to contact Silver, not wanting to get Rotor involved in a life or death situation, the crocodile had to face the facts; he had to forget Espio. He had to forget the man who changed his life.

He had to forget the man he loved...

And then, there was a noise.

"Vector!"

Vector looked up to see... Silver.

"Silvz!" he yelled, running up and hugging his new friend. "Oh, thank chaos yer alright!"

"I'm glad you're alright too," he said, undoing their hug. "Listen, Vector. We need to go NOW. I had gotten into a fight with a Travel & Exploration executive. Don't worry, that bullet he tried to shoot at me is somewhere else now... but never mind that! When I tried calling you and you didn't reply, I assumed the worst... Vector, their plan... began tonight! I don't know how long we have until they arrive, but we need to leave immediately!"

"Yer right! Silver... I trust ya... just please! Help me get Espio back!"

"I will. Don't worry. Come on, let's go."

Silver raised his hand up to let Vector float, the crocodile taking a deep breath as he began to rise into the air. The hedgehog began to levitate.

"You can tell me where this place is, right?" Silver asked.

"Sure can."

"Great, let's go."

With the neighbors coming out, wondering what was going on, Silver and Vector floated toward the sky, ready for their final challenge.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE**

Espio watched as multiple helicopters from the west began to come closer and closer. His nerves tensed up as he realized who was behind this.

From the largest helicopter, Infinite and Regina looked down at the kingdom.

"It's time..." The two said.

"Time that we end this," Infinite said.

Regina's gaze lowered. "Captain, this is your order. Tell all ships... to lower the bombs. It's time we spell an end to the Dragon Kingdom..."


	17. The Unholy Ending (Finale)

**(AN: Sorry for the lateness everyone. I know you've been waiting, and I apologize. I would say more here, but I think it's time we end off this story. So, I'll be talking after the finale. See you then.)**

* * *

It would have been a quiet night as the house of Rouge the Bat, esteemed jewel hunter and acquaintance to Vector. However, the bat was absolutely enraged as she stepped out of the shower.

 _"What is that man thinking?!"_ She yelled at her mind. _"First, he goes and quits, then he posts some cryptic as hell stuff on his social media... has he gone bonkers?!"_

It was absolutely enraging to see someone she once idolized turn into... this. She expected him to be more than a washed-up star, but that's exactly what he turned out to be.

 _"And what next? He quits this profession? Somehow starts some low brow cooking show like Charlie and his dumb wife?! Why? Why the hell has he gotten soft? Doesn't he know you don't do that in this field?!"_

Rouge, getting up from her bed, ignored the cup of tea on her nightstand. She made her way to her handline, and just as she picked up her phone, heard the sound of... helicopters.

"Huh?"

Putting down the phone and walking to the window, she opened it to see various helicopters zooming across the sky.

"That's weird..." She mused, holding her towel closer to her body. "Is there some kinda criminal out there? I didn't hear about anything..."

Just before Rouge could ponder what just happened, she heard a buzzing from her bed. It was her phone. Walking towards it, the bat saw a message from Vector.

"Aha! Got you! Alright, you better start talking RIGHT-!"

As soon as her message app opened, she saw it: a group chat with various of the other treasure hunters she knew.

There was just one message from the crocodile.

 **"I'm sorry. Forgive me if I fall off the radar."**

* * *

Vector closed the messenger as he looked at Silver.

"Did you send the message?" Silver asked.

"Yeah. Hopefully I ain't got too many regrets."

"We'll pull through though, just you watch."

Vector nodded as he looked down. Zipping past trees, road, buildings, cars, and every other thing he can think of. While he wanted to yell out that he felt like a bird, being in a happy joking mood was not how he felt.

It was do or die time.

Vector opened up the camera app on his phone, making sure he had enough space.

"What's that for?" Silver asked.

"When we get into the kingdom, I'm gonna start recordin'… I'm gonna expose Infinite and Regina to the world! I'll show them how awful the place looks, the note from their army, the dead bodies, everythin'!"

"That's a smart idea. With them trying to blow up everything, a livestream seems impossible."

Just before the crocodile could reply, there was the sound of a helicopter coming from the distance.

"What the?!"

The two turned around to see a helicopter coming their way. Silver could make out someone pushing out some kind of turret.

"Oh hell!" The white hedgehog exclaimed. "Vector, I'm about to show you another of my abilities. Just take a deep breath, okay?"

"Whaddya mean take-"

Silver lifted his other hand up as he opened some kind of portal, and just as the people on the helicopter began shooting, the crocodile and hedgehog went through it.

Coming out from the other side, Vector exhaled as he began to freak out.

"Wha-what even ARE ya man?!" He yelled. "I swear, ya ain't a normal person!"

"A normal person couldn't help you like this, Vector. Now look ahead, do you know where we are?"

Vector looked forward as he saw it: the Dragon Kingdom. He turned his head to the left to see other ships coming from the west.

"That must be Stormtop..." The reptile said.

"Then they're ready to set off the bombs at any second. Hold on Vector! We're gonna dive!"

"We're gonna what?!"

Silver straightened his body as he zoomed like a missile towards land, Vector screaming for his life.

Finally, the two crashed on land. Vector landed on his butt while Silver was buried face deep into the ground.

"Alright, time to find Espio! Silver, err... just get out quickly!"

Vector ran, he ran faster than the time the chameleon was chasing him out of the kingdom. He ran faster than the time he wanted to prove his parents he was the best runner.

"ESPIO! ESPIO!" He screamed, not knowing when the eventual would happen. The crocodile jumped through rocks and roots, somehow avoiding tripping on anything. He looked behind him to see Silver had caught up with him.

"Alright, Silvz!" Vector yelled. "Let's go!"

He got out his phone, and started up his camera. Starting up a video, he cleared his throat and began to talk.

"My name is Vector, star of Vector's Treasure Hunt Quest. And if you are watching this... that means I'm going to reveal the truth of the Dragon Kingdom, and the horrors about to occur to this place, caused by and thanks to Regina Ferrum of the Stormtop Empire, and Infinite Block of Travel & Exploration..."

* * *

 **MEANWHILE**

Espio fell to his knees as he sat at the ruins of his brother's old home. This... this was the end of everything.

In the distance, he could see flames... the flames that haunted his thoughts since the day of the invasion... the smell that he grew to despise. He lowered his head, knowing that he failed everyone.

And most of all, he couldn't see the one he loved... the one who tried so hard to get him out, even when he himself kept saying no because of his own stubbornness!...

He held the kunai in his hand tight. Him giving his life for his land was his final testament, his blood soaking the grass and flowers would show his devotion, and complete the genocide that was the extinction of the citizens of the Dragon Kingdom.

The art of seppuku... the art that ancient Dragon warriors committed in honor of not wanting to be murdered... he would be the last Dragon citizen to ever commit such an atrocity.

The chameleon grabbed the handle of the kunai with both hands, and...

* * *

"ESPIO!" Vector yelled, tears in his eyes as he finally found his lover. He quickly picked up Espio, brought him in for a tight hug, and kissed his lips so hard, it took Silver to convince him to let go.

"I am s-so fuckin' glad yer okay..." The crocodile sobbed, eyes puffing red. "Y-ya survived... ya survived, ya survived..."

Vector continued to sob, Espio rubbing his back.

"I'd hate to be the third wheel here, but we really do need to leave! Who knows what'll happen next!-"

"Yer right. Espio, I promise I'll cry 'bout ya tonight on yer shoulder when we clean up the house and call the cops! Right now, we gotta get outta here. I know yer attatched but... yer life is more important! And most of all... we can start it all over again."

Espio simply looked at his boyfriend, took his hand, and nodded.

"Then, yer okay with it?"

Vector smiled.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud BOOM.

The three looked around only to see a large chunk of trees in the distance falling down as yet another BOOM echoed through the ruined kingdom.

"It's... it's started..." Vector said, frightened.

Just then, another BOOM, this one however was close to them. The three dived down to the ground as dirt fell onto the three.

"They're directly below us!" Silver yelled. He brought up his hands as Vector and Espio began to levitate. Just as two trees fell, the hedgehog began to make his way out of the kingdom as Stormtop soldiers descended to the ground, torching what else was left, looting any treasures, and most of all: making Vector, Espio, and Silver their primary targets.

* * *

Explosions of all kinds rocked the kingdom as trees and everything else that made up whatever was left collided to the ground. Silver moved back and forth, making sure not to hit any falling debris.

"How much longer left till we get there?" Vector asked.

"I-I dunno! I think we passed by here so we shouldn't be long until-"

A tree fell right in front of them. Silver suddenly stopped his levitation power as the two reptiles dropped to the ground. Suddenly, two soldiers pointed their weapons at the group.

"Now we got you!" One said, grabbing his radio. "We have the three surrounded!"

"What's the plan now?!" Vector exclaimed.

 _"Understood. Shoot them on sight!"_ the voice on the radio said. Just before the two fired their weapons, Espio threw a kunai through the neck at one of the soldiers. Groaning, he fell to the ground, and the remaining one opened fire...

...only for Silver to stop every bullet with his ESP. He turned the bullets around, and the solider gulped. He attempted to run away, but the hedgehog dropped his hand, and the bullet barrage hit the solider from behind.

"Alright alright, let's go!" Vector said. Silver nodded as once again, the three were back in the air.

"I think we're gettin' close!" the crocodile said. The three ducked under yet another falling tree as the cackling of fire and explosions filled their eardrums.

Soon, they were finally at the edge of the kingdom, and finally on their way to make it out. A beach lay below them, and as the three looked behind, they watched as fire burned into the sky and smoke was clear as crystal. Espio wept a silent tear, mourning the loss of his home.

"We're almost out of here! Now all we have to do is-"

Suddenly, there a helicopter right on top of them.

"Uh oh! Silver, get outta-"

Then, there was the sound of a gun firing.

...and the sound of Silver grunting.

Vector and Espio fell into the sand below, Silver however crashed face first into the sea. The two were unaware of what happened to the hedgehog until they saw red from the water.

"T-they... they shot Silver!" the large green reptile yelled. "ESPIO! Ya gotta!"

Espio was running away as more shots fired, following the chameleon. Vector covered his head, hoping that nothing would hurt him.

As he looked up, he saw a ladder in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he was going to kill each and every person on that helicopter for destroying the kingdom and for possibly murdering Silver. He grabbed on, climbing up at an intense speed.

"ALRIGHT YA LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT, THIS IS THE END... THIS IS THE FUCKIN' END! I'M GONNA FUCKIN' TEAR THE SHIT OUTTA YA-"

Just as Vector arrived at the base of the helicopter, there was someone's foot in front of them. The crocodile looked up at the well-dressed... black... jackal...

Infinite Block... CEO of Travel & Exploration.

"And what else will you do, Vector? Please, enlighten us."

Vector's breath hitched as he held onto the last rope of the ladder.

"I told ya once... there's a special place in hell fer ya... but I think the devil probably thinks yer crazier than him..." He said.

"Oh, crazy doesn't even SPELL it, Vector! Do you know who they call crazy? They say that to any person who even has a negative thought. After all, that's what makes us human. Could you imagine if things were all peachy nice?"

"I didn't come here fer yer euphemisms! I'm here to fuckin' end yer life ya son of a bitch..."

"Ah, and threatening my life too! Is this how you treat your old boss-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! YA STOPPED BEIN' MAH BOSS WHEN YA FUCKIN' CAME FER EVERYTHIN' IN MAH LIFE!"

"Oh Infinite, don't you know how to keep your children in control?" another voice said. Vector recalled the voice... the voice of a woman... the voice of a dictator.

"R-Regina?!"

"Ah, hello again, Mr. Vector. How surprising to see you again after so long... Though, it wasn't long now was it?"

"What the fuck are ya doin' with-… wait, don't tell me..."

"Yes, you could say that Regina and I became very good friends when we set up to film in the Dragon Kingdom. However, these days our friendship has now become 'How can we ruin Vector the Crocodile's life?'."

"Why... that's all I want to know."

"Why? Why all of these? Why we destroy this kingdom, attempt to murder that chameleon, and actually shoot that former foolish hedgehog employee of mine? It's so simple, Vector. This is what I call divine retribution."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I mean is that you DEFY ME! YOU GO AGAINST EVERYTHING I HAD SET UP FOR MY COMPANY, ALL THE CONTROVERSY, MEETING THAT CHAMELEON, FALLING FOR HIM, AND JEPORDIZING THE SHOW THAT GOT US THE MOST MONEY!" Infinite yelled, his red eyes bulging.

"Because ya gain personal gain outta this! Both o' ya!"

"Listen here you handbag wretch, I am finally getting the nation my ancestors have worked so hard to have! Stormtop will be united as one, and someone like that chameleon ruins it! AND YOU! YOU GETTING IN THE WAY MAKES THINGS EVEN WORSE! YOU HAVE POWER THAT YOU FAIL TO REALIZE!"

"And that Vector, is why. You became attached to someone you shouldn't have met, and by doing that, it costs us everything! From that day you quit, us and our executives have tried your best to make you crawl back like a rat. And that is what you WILL do!"

Vector spit at Infinite's feet. "To hell with yer little plan. I wanna see both of ya locked up fer yer crimes against humanity."

"YOU LITTLE SON OF A BITCH!" Infinite said, pulling out a gun.

"Infinite!" Regina yelled. "As much as I want him dead... perhaps leaving him alive with his despair would be better."

Infinite huffed as he lowered his weapon. Vector's gaze lowered as well.

"You're right. And besides, Vector... all of this we can put past and forget about."

"If ya even think about wanting me back, forget it! Ya spy on me, break in, trash mah place, ruin mah life, why the FUCK would I even go back?!"

"Why the fuck would you go back? WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU GO BACK?! Let me give you an answer, _boy._ Think about it. If you stayed here with that little savage, your life as you know it is over. You don't have a house, you're not rich, you lose contact with all your friends and family, no one will ever think about you, and you'll just be a statistic, another person adding to the list of "people who vanished under mysterious circumstances". But... if you come back, you get to keep all of that. And hey, guess what? I promise I won't do anything that will make you uncomfortable, and we'll even repair that messed up home of yours, free of charge. What do you say?"

Vector's breath hitched. As much as he wanted to tell him to die, he had a point. If he stayed here with Espio... he couldn't call his friends or his family. He wouldn't have an income, and his days would be spent hunting for food that may all be gone by now.

"I... I won't let Espio go!..." He said.

"Is that your answer? That little man? You know, what happens the day you both stop having feelings for each other? Then you will realize you've just given up your life for some man you don't even care about."

"Espio ain't like that! Shut the fuck up!"

Infinite sighed.

"It's such a shame to see how far you fell, Vector. Oh well, I guess I never really can understand your thinking, but you've given me your answer."

He shrugged, then chuckled.

"Well, I believe this is it, Vector. You've been such a good employee to me, but... like with all TV shows and employees... they get cancelled. And so, I bid you farewell... Oh and don't worry... I'll bill your loved ones for the funeral," Infinite said.

"Perhaps we'll see each other again when Stormtop invades the Dragon Kingdom finally. Maybe we'll have you two integrated into our beautiful utopian society rather than have you executed," Regina added.

"That would be the better plan. I'd rather not like to have you waste your life but... I guess for now, I have no use for you, do I? And now... time for the show to sign off for the night!"

And in one swift motion, before Vector could get on board, Infinite pulled out a knife and slashed the rope of the ladder. The crocodile yelled as he fell down towards the burning and destroyed kingdom, flailing his arms as he continued to scream. Infinite and Regina watched as the pilots of all ships and helicopters began to drive away, their work finally done.

As for Vector, his screaming and flailing continued as he fell straight into the water near the beachside.

* * *

The waves splashed onto the sand over and over, the last of the fire finally going out as Vector lay motionless in the sand. His clothes were tattered and wet, and he showed no signs of moving.

Espio walked up to the motionless Vector, shaking him. The large green reptile slowly woke up, his head hurting.

"Ughn... where am I?..." He asked.

Vector lowered his eyes as he looked around. Water... sand... that's right... he was in the Dragon Kingdom.

Getting up, he hissed as water dripped down onto the ground. He was cold and was beginning to shiver.

Suddenly, just as he wrapped his arms around himself for warmth, Vector began to remember everything: the burning kingdom, Infinite and Regina, Silver being shot, everything became a blur.

He collapsed to the ground, taking deep breaths as everything finally hit him. He simply sat on the sandy seaside, watching the sky.

Infinite was right. He was stuck here now. The kingdom was destroyed, there was no home waiting for him, no amount of money he had back home mattered because it was useless now. His fame, his career, his relationships, everything he worked for... was now gone.

And here he was: just a stowaway.

Vector turned his head to the left to see Espio, frowning at him. He didn't want his lover to see his face, and turned away from him.

Then, the chameleon put his hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.

And then, did something Vector never expected him to do.

"I'm sorry I caused all this to happen to you."

Vector's eyes widened as he looked at the fuchsia reptile.

 _"He... he spoke..."_ The crocodile thought.

As he looked at his lover, Vector's feelings began to change. Sure, he was stuck in this place probably forever and had nothing to his name.

But... Espio was here. And maybe... just maybe, having only him wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Vector hugged Espio's side, kissed his right cheek, and said, "Don't blame yourself. This is better than anythin'..." as the two watched the sunset...

* * *

 **EPILOGUE**

Since then, no one had heard of Vector since. Many began to throw their suspicions at Mr. Infinite, but he either ignored or deflected them all, stating in a press conference that he had nothing to do with the disappearance of Vector, stating that this happened after him quitting and he didn't have any contact with him since.

His parents grieved, demanding justice, while his treasure hunting friends wanted to know what happened and the meaning behind his cryptic last message.

An official investigation was launched into what happened to Vector, with Mr. Infinite being questioned and detained. However, though he lied, the jackal was able to bribe the officials with money to back off of him.

Soon however, Infinite's prediction became right. Overtime, Vector did become more forgotten about as his items and treasures were either pawned off or donated to museums. Eventually, the crocodile's house became foreclosed as a new family moved into his old home. And finally, talk of Vector just became rumors, speculation, and gossip.

"Man, what did happen to Vector the Crocodile?" one would ask. "I liked his show."

"I dunno," the other would say. "My coworker said he killed himself after losing his show.

"No, that's not right!" one other person butting into the conversation would say. "I heard he's living abroad in some other country! He said he got sick of Mobotropolis and is living there now!"

"No no! I on the otherhand, heard that he went crazy and is living in some bomb shelter in the desert and refuses to come out!" one final person would say before the others walked away due to his crazy theory being too much for them to handle.

None of the talk got anywhere, and Vector eventually left people's mind as society continued to move forward. Infinite soon expanded Travel & Exploration, which would go on to become one of the richest networks after being bought by a huge news network even higher and richer than them. Meanwhile, Regina was just three days shy from holding a military parade in celebration of the anniversary of the Dragon and Stormtop civil war, ready to announce her plans to being reunification. And Vector soon did just become listed as 'missing' and just another statistic and person on a list.

However... in spite of this, Vector was not lost to the sands of time.

Just a day shy before the Stormtop ceremony, a female white lemur explorer from the neighboring country of Soleanna made her way to the Dragon Kingdom on boat, hearing about the high amount of riches left over. She had heard rumors about the Stormtop plans, and wanted to raid the kingdom of anything they had forgotten before their reunification.

As she got out of the boat, she rubbed her hands together. "Whew mama, get me some riches today!" she said.

Making her way into the kingdom, she noticed how just even more beyond repair the kingdom seemed. It felt spooky just being in the sea of dead, burnt trees and ash still on the ground.

"Is anyone there?"

No response. She continued to make her way through the kingdom, carrying her flashlight.

Continuing to turn around to make sure no one would scare, she was caught off guard as her leg hit something heavy.

"What the?"

She looked down to see some kind of jewel box. The white tiger looked inside to see jewels still inside.

"Oh niiiiiice! Man, this is gonna be even better! And ooh! Ooh, look at this!" She exclaimed, running over to an expensive looking but still salvageable painting.

In the midst of her excitement, she failed to the realize the silhouette of two people: a silent crocodile and chameleon. They stood behind her, waiting for her to turn around so the two reptiles could drive out the unwanted visitor...

 **FIN**

* * *

 **(AN 2:**

 **...**

 **that's right.**

 **Usually for most of my fics, I end off on a 'happily every after' type of deal.**

 **For this one, I planned to have more of a tragic ending since the beginning. I know a lot of people might have wanted Vector and Espio to succeed, but... sometimes it doesn't always happen. However, I feel this ending is more on the bittersweet side. Losing so much, but having one thing to help you keep going... there's something about that to be honest.**

 **Thank you to everyone who favorited and reviewed. Your reception, especially early on when I had to get back into the groove of things, helped so much. I also put in something that I was recommended I put in, so here's to you person who's name I can't recall.**

 **So what's next?**

 **I'll be honest, coming up with a future Vecpio is hard. If I may be real, I've been thinking about a sequel to Rooming In. I'm not outright confirming it, however it has been on my mind. Of course, it won't be the next Vecpio fic from me. I'd much rather do a Vecpio based around the game canon rather than another AU.**

 **Other than that, I've been thinking of a Sonic/Danganronpa crossover ever since I've been watching an LP of DR1, more so an AU Sonic cast taking the roles as if it were a DR game. It'd make more sense once I actually do release it (which now thinking about it, I might do so). Finally, I've had one fic on the backburner for a bit that's rather huge and requires some planning, however it has nothing to do with Sonic. It'll come when it comes.**

 **So, that's it from me. See you all next fic, and...**

 **Just remember that even the strangest of encounters can be lifechanging.)**


End file.
